Fleeting Fictions
by baby-rose15
Summary: Short one shots all based around one central plot line but hopelessly out of order just to make things interesting. Started pre-Always and creates the future of Castle. Final chapter is chronological order. Complete.
1. Lean On Me

**Hello Castle Fandom! So this is a little project of mine that I'm going to share with you. For me it's a way to make sure I do some writing everyday even if its unrelated to an ongoing story. I've done something similar for a different fandom and I thought this time I'd do it for Castle, that way I'll be able to play with the characters more and get a better feel for them.**

**What it is is a series of 500 word ficlets based on a prompt. In this case I pulled a list of songs from my itunes (I apologize for my at times questionable taste in music) and made a list of their titles. Let me be clear these are not song fics. I merely used the title as a jumping off point for the flash fiction. **

**So what you find below is the title of the song my itunes provided and just 500 words of Castle, mostly fluff because that's what I like, and that's it. Now since I'm writing these clearly I'm not actually writing for Castle so lets just move on to the first installment of _Fleeting Fictions._**

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><p><span>Lean On Me – Bill Withers<span>

I was sitting on the couch in the break room, head cradled in my hands, taking slow deep breaths. I'd completely wigged over nothing, but I was still taking me a little while to pull myself together. Once we'd heard from her, determining that she was just up at the prison and that was why she hadn't been answering her phone the boys had gone back to business as usual. Cleaning up the white board, packing away the case and filing the paperwork. My hands were too jittery though so I'd excused myself to the break room to pull myself together before she got back.

I must have been in there longer than I thought though because the next thing I could focus on was her weight settling onto the couch next to me, as she slid an arm across my back and rested her head against my shoulder. She didn't say anything for a long while, and I was content to keep the silence, just breath in the cherry scent of her lotion and vanilla from her perfume.

"I'm sorry I scared you," she finally whispered.

"You… don't be sorry…" I stuttered, "You're fine… you're fine I over reacted… unreasonable… If anyone should be sorry it should be me."

"Castle," it's soft and gentle as she lifts her head off my shoulder so that she can settle her chin there instead, "I should have told you I was going to the prison and my phone was low on battery. I'm sorry I didn't." She leaned in a pressed a kiss to my cheek before settling back to just watch me.  
>Inhaling deeply, "I can't freak out like that though. Every time you're unreachable, I can't be a mess what if you actually need me?" I rotated my head looking at her now our faces inches apart.<p>

She smiled, that gentle endearing smile she has for me when she thinks something is just so sweet. "Then you'll pull yourself together just like you always do and come get me. The boys said you were fine until you found out I was ok and that you've been in here ever since."

"Yeah… yeah, I was just relieved… Kate… we hadn't heard from you in hours."

She carded a hand through my hair, "I know. I know," She smiled but I'm fine and you're fine and all we have left in this god for saken day is a pile of paper work and then you can take me home, feed me, and we'll take a bath together." She stood up holding a hand out to help me off the atrocious vinyl couch, "Come on writer I could use your help."

Allowing myself to be pulled up off the couch I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her hard pressing my nose into her hair, "I just love you so much."  
>"I know you do. I love you too." She squeezed back, "Lets finish the paper work."<p>

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><p><strong>Well what did you think of the first installment? They're are plenty more to come.<strong>

**Tonight 47 seconds and I'm pumped.**

**Babyrose**


	2. Lazy Days

**Well 47 seconds was... it was... yeah I'm at a loss for words on dealing with it at the moment. So instead you get this which is decidely happier than last night.**

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><p><span>Lazy Days - Enya<span>

"Where do you think you're going?" he called from the bed. Apparently I woke him up as I untangled myself from the mess of limbs and linens when the sunlight had infiltrated my sleep.

"To the bathroom, and then maybe a run," I told him throwing a suggested smirk over my shoulder before closing the door.

"Kaatee…" he whined loud enough for me to hear through the door, "don't you understand the meaning of Sunday."

"And what exactly would that be?" I asked coming out of the bathroom amused at his rumpled and thoroughly relaxed state in the bed just watching me as I came closer dipping to scoop the shirt off the place it landed last night, tossing it into the hamper by the closet.

Snagging my wrist he pulled me back into the bed with surprising speed given that he look just so serene a second ago. "Sunday meaning lazy day. A day meant for doing nothing but lying around in bed."

I smiled knowing where this was headed even as he used my apparent lack of coordination at the moment to roll me over so that he was hovering above me. Arching my neck so that I could kiss him quickly. "I thought Sundays were days for doing everything I didn't get to do during the week?" I asked pulling back to watch him.

Seeing the mischievous glint in his eye told me this battle was completely lost, "Exactly, he followed me down towards the pillow pressing kisses to my neck and collarbone, "We don't get to laze around in bed during the rest of the week so we might as well on Sunday." He moved further south, "We might as well enjoy it while we have the chance."

"I was going to go for a run," I lamented but making no effort to go anywhere else.

"Run another day." His hands ghosted over my skin making me tingle everywhere.

"I thought you liked me all sweaty," I teased scraping my nails over his back. His answer was mumbled against my the skin of my hip bone, making it unintelligible. "What was that?" I asked closing my eyes just enjoying his ministrations, "I like making you sweat."

"I thought we were being lazy…"

"Funny girl," He said making me gasp with his fingers, "I don't see you doing any of the work right now."

Trying my best to focus I opened my eyes again to look at him, trying to ground my voice despite the fact that I felt like floating away, "That can change."

"Do you want it too?" He pushed on.

"In a minute," I shuddered, riding the sensation as long as possible before opening my eyes to his shit eating grin.

"You like lazy days."

"Hard not too when they're like that." I hooked a leg around him and flipped us over, "but it's my turn to do the work," I settled on top of him.

"I love Sundays," He sighed.

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><p><strong>Feel better?<strong>

**Babyrose**


	3. Whatever It Takes

**Well 47 seconds really does have us all in a mess. This isn't super light and fluffy but it's better than how last night ended. My mom only saw the last two minutes and said, "it looked like it ended badly." My poor shipper heart it's having a hard time recovering.**

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><p><span>Whatever It Takes – Lifehouse<span>

"Whatever it takes Castle."

He could only nod in return she was so serious in this moment it would be almost comical if they weren't fighting for they're lives.

"Castle, I need you to say you understand. I need to hear you say you'll do whatever it takes to get out of here and make sure at least one of us gets home to our little boy."

"Kate don't do this."

"Rick, just promise me that. He needs at least one parent."

"He needs both of us," he tries to argue.

But she's having none of it. "Just go Castle, please," she asks and before he can tell her that, he loves her or anything else the quiet of the room is ripped apart by the sound of gunfire.

He sits up gasping hard, eyes opening to realize that he was in the precinct break room. He must have fallen asleep when he sat down to wait for the coffee to brew. _Just a dream, just a dream_. He repeats to himself shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of the nightmare, before getting up to pour the coffee that he'd come in to make half an hour ago.

Clutch both their cups he wanders back into the bullpen, focusing on the heat coming through the ceramic. She's still standing at the white board where he left her though and she smiles at him tiredly as he approaches, gratitude lacing her features at the sight of the coffee. "There you are. I was beginning to organize a search party."

"Sorry, fell asleep." He tells her with a wry smile handing her the cup, trying to hide the lingering fear in his eyes.

She doesn't miss it though. Taking the coffee with one hand and catching his wrist with the other, she abandons the murder board and its mystery for the living breathing one in front of her. "What's wrong?" she asks. He shakes his head, hoping that will discourage her, but it only makes her press harder, "Castle, tell me."

"Nightmare," he finally admits on a sigh.

"Because of the case," she asks softly taking a step closer to him, trying to soothe him with just her proximity. He closes his eyes and nods, not wanting to see the worry in hers. "Are you ok?"

Closed eyes don't offer much of a reprieve for him though and he's forced to open them again and look into hear green and gold ones, "Just promise me you'll never make me leave you."

"Why would I…" she starts and realizes that it doesn't really matter at this point he just needs the reassurance after whatever picture it was his mind had given him. "I'll never make you leave."

They both know it's not possible and there's going to be times when she asks him to go and he has to and in the future the picture his mind supplied him with is possible but for now those are the words he needs.

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><p><strong>I need your guys help. I need a boy and girl name for their kids I was trying to write them earlier and I can only think of them as Dashiell and Ellery which are Chezchuckles names and I'll let her keep them because she's done brilliant things with them. But I really need suggestions as a result.<strong>

**Babyrose**


	4. Tangled

**Naming kids is hard guys... I don't envy my future self at all in this moment. Any way some light hearted christmas fluff because the fandom is cranking out post 47 second fics at an incredible rate. It's a little ****unbelievable. So hopefully this will add a smile to your face.**

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><p>Tangled – Maroon 5<p>

"These are a mess." I called across the loft to where he was trying to finagle the tree upright in the corner he insisted it belonged in.

"They're Christmas lights of course they're a mess. Unless they're on display or in brand new packaging they're always tangled."

"Rick that's ridiculous if you just put them away properly last year then they wouldn't be a mess now."

"Well then you can be in charge of putting them away next year." He yelled back appearing from behind the tree, "In the mean time they need untangled. We can't have a naked Christmas tree."

"Only you." I smiled shaking my head, as he walked over to join me.

"One of the many reasons you love me." He grinned kissing my cheek, "Oh, these are a mess." He grimaces looking at the box which was a rats nest of Christmas lights.

"You thought I was kidding?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"No I just think that your definition and my definition of mess are different. But even by my definition these are a mess." He bent over to tug on what looked like a lose strand, which only resulted in them all lifting out of the box a fraction to reveal more of the tangled mess. "New plan," He nodded his head, "Get your coat."

"My coat?"

"We're going to get new, not tangled lights."

"Castle."

"You want to untangle them?"

I looked down at the hopeless box, "Do you think that's even a possibility?"

He laughed, "No, I don't that's possible which is why we're going to get new lights."

"Alright." I sighed, "It seems like a waste."

"Be my guest detective." He was grinning knowing he had me.

"Get your coat." I sighed.

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><p>"This is nice." I said taking the cup of hot chocolate he'd handed me as we sat down in front of the tree.<p>

Throwing an arm over my shoulder he pulled me against his side, "It is. Everything is right with the world it's snowing during the Christmas season my daughter is going to be home for break tomorrow and we're going to celebrate our first Christmas together."

"Are you sure Alexis won't be upset that we did the tree without her?"

"She's fine with it, besides we left her the rest of the apartment and that's her thing. I've always done the tree and she's decorated the rest of it."

"Always?"

"Yeah even when she was little."

"That must have been a sight."

"Well she's always gone with a theme." He smiled remembering fondly, "They've gotten more sophisticated with time, but there's always a theme."

"That sounds nice," I sighed leaning into his side, yawning.

"Wore you out decorating a tree."

"It's a good thing you bought more lights, otherwise we'd still be untangling them."

"I think they would have eaten us first."

"Castle…" I groan despite the smile on my face.

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><p><strong>Smiling?<strong>

**Babyrose**


	5. Yellow

**I get it we're still reeling for 47 seconds (I think we broke the alerts again) but I have some happy words for you! I always did like the color yellow.**

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><p><span>Yellow – Coldplay<span>

He was standing in the middle of the room guest room, just kind of looking around. It was the room that I'd stayed in the first time I'd spent the night here, and a few times after that. It had been decorated by a designer I'm sure. Probably, the same one that had done the rest of apartment, but where the rest of the house had been altered, added to, lived in, this room was relatively untouched.

Slipping through the door way I walked up to him wrapping my arms around his waist settling my head on his shoulder, "Whatcha thinking?" I asked.

He sighed gently, hands settling over mine, "That we're not going to have a guest room anymore."

"What about Alexis' room?" I asked amused that this was the problem he currently forsaw.

"It's Alexis' room."

"Well do we get a lot of guests besides Alexis?"

"No, but what about when she brings home a boyfriend." He pouted.

"Rick…" He knew he was being silly, but it was so sweet to hear him be a classic father, "when our 23 year son comes home with a girl that he lives with are you going to make them sleep in separate rooms?"

He turned around in my arms, "Won't you?..." He asked as his eyes went wide a hand coming up to rest on the slight swell of my stomach, "We're having a boy."

"Oh god! Sorry, I know you wanted to be surprised, it just slipped out." He wanted it to be a surprise so when the doctor had offered to tell us he'd stepped out of them room.

"We're having a boy?" he asked again tears of happiness shimmering in his eyes.

I brought my hands up to cradle his face, nodding, "Yes, yes we're having a baby boy." Tears streaming down my face as he smiled kissing me.

"A little boy." He leaned his forehead on mine, looking down at his hands that were gently cradling my stomach, "Oh Kate we're having a baby boy, we're really having a baby?" he sounded completely shocked at the possibility.

I laughed, slipping my fingers through his hair feeling happier about it than I had when we originally found out. "We're definitely having a baby."

We were both quiet for a moment as the tears subsided, I took in the room, imagining everything that it was going to need to be ready for the baby. "We're going to have to make a bunch of changes in here."

"We get to go shopping," he smiled.

"We're going to need to paint too," I agreed leaning into rest my head on his shoulder as his hands slipped around to my lower back applying pressure to the tired area.

"We are? it's already blue," he murmured in my ear.

"I'm thinking yellow."

"Yellow?"

"It's warm and happy, and he's going to be a happy baby." I told him rubbing my own stomach now.

"Yellow," he agreed.

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><p><strong>Now it's your turn to make me smile by looking in the mirror and then describing your smile to me! It would be much appreciated.<strong>

**Babyrose**


	6. We Found Love

**We're still trying to cope clearly because the alerts are still down. Don't AM and crew realize that they're solely responsibly for breaking fangirls and subsequently , seriously our coping mechanism can't keep up. Also they're were sneak peaks last night and let me just say that "Yes... no... do you think he knows?" might have just sealed the deal on my complete love of Kate Beckett. **

**Any way really have no idea where this came from but I'll leave it. Also if I owned Castle do you think I'd whine about alerts being down.**

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><p><span>We Found Love – Rihanna<span>

"What happened in here?" Castle asked coming through the door of the tiny apartment that had been turned into a blood bath.

"I don't know Castle, but if I had to guess someone died." Esposito was in a snarky mood this morning so I wasn't surprised when the scarastic comment came from him as Castle joined us.

Castle was fortunately smart enough not to engage, instead he lifted an eyebrow at me to convey his confusion at Espo's mood and then continued on, "Where's the body then?"

I smiled at him, "That's just it, there doesn't seem to be a body, just a lot of blood."

"So how do we know that there's a dead person?" His brow wrinkled in confusion.

"There's too much blood for them to have lived," Lanie offered from the corner.

"What if they're were two people?" I asked, "Could they have left here alive?" I looked from the blood spattered room to Castle who was looking around just as puzzled as I was.

Lanie shook her head, "There's foot prints and drag marks. We'll check the samples but my guess is that the blood is all from the same person."

Castle let a out low whistle, "So someone came in here killed the owner?... in such a violent manner that blood spatter got on almost every surface and then they managed to … just carry the body out of the building with out anyone noticing?"

I grimaced, well this is going to be a nightmare of a case. "Looks that way?"

"Do we at least know if it was the tenant or if it was someone else?"

"Looks like it was the tenant but it was a sublease and the paperwork seems to be of questionable reliability." It really was going to be a nightmare, "Well I guess we should go back to the precinct and get started with what we know… Castle what are you doing?"

He was bobbing and weaving around the apartment looking under things and behind furniture. "I heard a sound," He told me crossing into the next room looking behind the furniture.

"What kind of sound?" I watched bemused.

"A small animal sound," he told me looking behind the large upright speaker in the apartment, "like a kitten." He stood up triumphantly clutching a tiny kitten to his chest. "Hey there little guy," He cooed lifting the little guy up to get a better look at the little ball of grey fur, "You're ok we'll take good care of you." He shifted the little guy so that the kitten could cuddle into his chest a bit.

"We'll take good care of him?" I asked, but I couldn't help but smile at him he was pretty cute with a little kitten cultched to his chest, as he came back to me.

"Yeah we'll take good care of him."

"You want to adopt a cat Castle that on you, but it is not going to be a group activity."

"Kate…"

"Castle you can keep the cat but he's your cat."

"You're not going to come over and play with him?" the question sounded like had come from a six year old followed by the plaintiff meow of the ball of grey fur.

Sighing knowing it was a battle that wasn't even an option, I reached over and rubbed the little thing's head. "Yeah I'll come play with you."

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><p><strong>Now it's your turn to make me smile by looking in the mirror and then describing your smile to me! It would be much appreciated.<strong>

**Babyrose**


	7. Shoulda

**Alerts are up! Which means you should all see this one and I really want you're thoughts on it because it's out of the order that I had but it came pouring out of my fingertips before I could stop it and I wanted to post it ahead of the _The Limey_.**

**Obviously Castle isn't mine, if it were I wouldn't find this necessary.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Shoulda – Hinder<span>

"I love you."

That's all she said, when I opened the door. She was wringing her hands but she didn't take her eyes off of me. "I'm sorry?" I managed to ask since it appeared that my brain couldn't keep up with her.

She huffed just a little bit and said it again. "I love you." I didn't know where to go with that and apparently neither did she because we just stood there looking at each other for a moment. "I should have told you," She broke the silence.

"That you love me?" My heart was beating too fast, and my brain was working too slowly in comparison.

"That I heard you." She's wringing her hands again.

"Oh." This was not what I expected happen after the last few weeks, we'd fought last week so she knew that I'd found out. Ever since we'd been really careful around each other, mostly I just avoided her, "shadowing" Ryan and Esposito instead.

Kicking my brain into gear I stepped back from the door, making room for her to come inside. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside the door waiting for me to close it, and then she followed me to the kitchen perching on a bar stool as I went mechanically through the motions of making coffee.

"I wish I had an explanation for you," she started slowly, "I had all these reason… all these silly reasons that made sense before you knew and … they don't make any sense and now they're all these silly reason that mean I'm going to lose you."

I hear the sobs between the phrases, and the tight control she has on her tears, and I have to turn around. "Kate…" I try and get her to stop talking but she seems to be on a roll.

"I'm sorry Rick… I'm sorry it wasn't fair for me to live for a year knowing that you loved me and you not to know how I felt about you… Knowing you did love me was the only solid thing I had to hang onto some days…" She pulled in a deep breath, steeling herself, "Anyway I'll go but I thought you deserved to know that I love you… that I'm in love with you… and that I'm sorry."

And then she was standing and making her way to the door while my brain caught up, "Kate!" I managed to call just as she laid her hand on the door knob, and I jogged over to her, "You love me?"

Her eyes were wide, "So much."

I stepped closer to her a hand coming to rest on her hip, "And I love you…" she bit her lip but didn't say anything, "so can that be what matters?" I asked.

She's starting to smile, and look just a little relived. "Please?" slips from her lips.

I step closer so that our chests are touching, and she's backed up against the door. "Anything for you Kate."

She's the one that closes the distance.

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><p><strong>Molly is tweeting about the finale, and they've named the season ender, and I'm struggling to breath but these are keeping fangirling attacks at bay. How are you guys doing out there? Inboxes flooded I'm sure but if you have a second drop me a word or too!<br>**

**Babyrose**


	8. Bleeding Love

**I am constantly impressed by how fast this fandom cranks out fics to cope. Apparently I'm one of them though cause here's another one. Castle's not mine although I'm never certain that's a bad thing.**

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><p><span>Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis<span>

The curtain on the bed whipped back just as the intern was starting the row of stitches on my forearm causing both of us to jump, "Castle, what did you do?"

"Ma'am I'm going to ask you to go back to the waiting room only patients and family members are aloud back here," The twenty something doctor tried in her firmest tones picking up my arm again.

Beckett however was completely unfazed, "NYPD," she snapped shifting her jacket just enough that the poor doctor could see the badge and the holstered weapon behind it. "Castle what did you do?"

I tried to look innocent, "I just cut my arm, no need to scare poor Dr. Warren here."

"Just cut your arm!" She smacked my good arm.

"Ow."

"You're in the emergency room getting stitches. By yourself, might I add, since you had Ryan and Esposito just drop you off and tell me where you were when they got back."

"Kate…Kate." I repeated until she looked at me, "It's really okay I just need a few stitches I didn't want you to worry. I was going to come to the precinct as soon as I was done here."

She collapsed on the bed next to me, "You should have called me."

With my good hand I reached into her lap and squeezed her clasped ones, "I know I'm sorry, but really I'm fine. I tripped and fell when I was with the boys and caught my arm on a nail."

"You really are a klutz." She smiled, settling her head on my shoulder to watch the doctor work, "Next time you end up in the emergency room for stitches or a fever you call me," it was quiet and calm but it carried with it a deadly threat.

"Yes, mam." I nodded.

"Ok your done," the doctor said covering the stitches with white gauze, "you're going to need to keep this dry for at least 24 hours. I'll get your paper work and basic stitches care and then your free to go." She stood moving to leave the stall we were in.

"He really is ok?" Kate asked her, sounding just a little bit terrified.

Fortunately the twenty something seemed to sympathize with what ever girly thoughts were fleetingly occupying my partners mind, "He'll be fine, needs to learn how to keep his feet under him but otherwise he's fine, probably won't even scar."

"Ok." Kate nodded now, "Thank you, I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier."

"No worries, I'll be right back." She smiled and left.

Kate sagged a bit and leaned against me wrapping her arms around me more fully. I pressed a kiss to her temple, "I really am ok."

"I know you are." She turned her head into my shoulder, "Just don't ever have the boys mention off hand that your in the ER."

"Images of me bleeding and dying without you flood your mind."

"Something like that." I could hear the smile in her voice.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I love hearing from you!<br>**

**Babyrose**


	9. Grenade

Grenade – Bruno Mars

The building shook, the sound of things crashing to the floor as it fell off desks, and screams of people taken completely by surprise echoed through the room. And then there was just a second of deadly silence where every person took the second to brace themselves for the possibility for the continued shake of an earth quake or the eerie silence of something much more deadly.

Nothing followed, and then a building of hundreds trained to deal with and work with the worst possible scenarios, became live again. Names being called as the situation was dealt with, making sure that everyone was fine. And they went onto investigate.

But one name went unanswered. Which is not uncommon, he's not always there given that he's not actually trained to be there. But he's not answering the rings of his phone, and his partner is standing in the middle of chaos trying hard to remember to breath and not get in anyone's way as it rings, and rings again.

She has to find him so while everyone else makes there way to the street in front of the precinct to survey the damage, to put they're training to use. She pushes her way through the crowd of officials to the perimeter that had been established to keep them contained and the lookers out.

They won't let her through. Everyone has to stay. She knows the reasoning, and under any other circumstance she wouldn't even be questioning it. But she can't go any further so she surveys the crowd. Searching, searching, desperately hoping that he's out there and not one of the bodies that was just a touch too close, There's only a few of them but the possibility that one of them is him is just too high for her.

And then she hears it. Her name. Her first name. She knows it him, and she whips her head around searching for him. Looking so desperately to put a face to the voice. And then she finds it. He's on the other side of the perimeter pressing against the hastily erected barriers trying to get in. Fortunately he was more determined to get in than she was to get out and he managed to volt the barricade and run across to her before the rookie uniform could stop him.

They crashed into each other, some where between the fire trucks and a squad car from the 38th. A tangle of confused limbs, as they struggled to stay up right. Her face pressed into his collar and his into her hair, both of them breathing deeply, inhaling each other, trying to calm their hearts and ease they're minds.

Its minutes before either of them say anything and then it's just a jumble of _thank gods, couldn't get through, I was so worried._ Before they give up and hug each other one more time before breaking resuming their usual stance. Partners. They'll do what they do best and then later they'll finish reassuring each other.


	10. Drop Me in the Middle

Drop me in the Middle – Natasha Bedingfield

"Castle?" The door to her apartment creaked open, and I mentally cursed myself for not being more organized than this. I'd meant to have everything packed up before she got home from her weekend with her dad at the cabin. Instead I was in a forest of bubble wrap, and couldn't actually see the door from my location

"Over here."

"What are you doing?" I could hear the laughter in her voice and she set down her bags by the door and waded through the mess that I had made.

"Packing," I tried to sound innocent, hearing bubbles pop as she got closer.

There was a loud series of pops as she gave up and walking carefully and plopped her self down next to me. "Packing? Really because this looks more like playing in bubble wrap."

"I can't help it if you have so many breakable things." I pouted, that was what had gotten me into trouble in the first place. All this knick nacks that need wrapped up before they could be transferred to my apartment.

She leaned and kissed me, just a brief brush of her lips, before she rocked back popping more bubbles. "Which was why we were going to pack my apartment together."

"I wanted to surprise you."

She was smiling so she wasn't actually mad at me, "Well you did manage that, I don't think I've ever come home to an apartment of bubbles that are meant for popping." She stood, spreading a sheet of bubbles out beneath her, "Come on Rick." He held out a hand to help me up, "All this bubble wrap we have to pop at least some of it." She laughed gingerly stepping on the sheet, relishing in the noise, "Come on."

"I love you." I jumped onto the sheet with her catching around her waist so that I could spin her around, the pops and crackles of the bubble wrap filling the air. She hooked her legs around my waist and wound her arms around my neck, so that she could kiss me.

Eventually, she unwound her legs and lowered herself to the ground. "You really made a mess of this," she noted looking around.

"Yeah well it's the thought that counts," I countered.

"Sure," she basically hummed, "It's going to take us forever to get this all clean up and to pack it up, we have to have everything out of here by Wednesday."

"We're going to hire movers that's how, then we can just supervise," I told her, "I'll get them to come tomorrow."

She grinned mischievously, "Does this mean we have time to kill before dinner with your mother and Alexis."

"And plenty of bubbles to pop."

"Good because I missed you."

"I miss you too. Next year you'll come."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"I'd be honored."

"It's a weekend of fishing, sitting on the porch, Castle."

"And it would be with you and your dad. Think of how much I can learn about you besides your love of popping bubbles."


	11. Wait Till You See Me Smile

**This one is my favorite one I've written so far. It makes me all warm and fuzzy. Now if I owned Castle would I be theorizing about how _The Limey_ is going to end tonight? No I wouldn't be.**

**I really hope this makes you smile.**

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><p><span>Wait Till You See Me Smile – Alicia Keys<span>

"Kate?" She was nowhere to be seen. We'd gotten the call about a body drop twenty minutes ago. Fortunately we were both awake, that just left getting ready and getting there. But I'd left to make the coffee and grab some basic breakfast stuff ten minutes ago leaving her to finish her makeup in the bathroom.

Usually she's joined me by the time the coffee finishes brewing, she's never been one to linger over eyeliner and blush, she puts it on, looks beautiful, and heads out the door. But not this morning, so I leave the travel cups on the counter next to the napkin wrapped pastries. "Kate?" I call again walking through the office into the bedroom.

The door to the bathroom is open just a little bit and I can see her in the silver of mirror pacing. The door's not closed and locked so I push it open ready to ask if she's feeling alright but the words never get out of my mouth.

She's checking her watch, trying to determine if enough time as passed since the last time she checked her watch, even if it was only six seconds ago, and then glancing at the counter again, where it sits. The possibilities for that little box loom, without either of us saying a word.

We'd talked about it. Of course we'd talked about it, but we'd never really sat down and discussed it. It had always been more of, one day when we… then a lets have one… But I guess this will decide the course of it. And I don't really know how to take it, I don't really know how she's going to take it either for that matter.

There's nothing I can do though, I can just be here and deal with the reaction whatever it maybe. So I lean against the door jamb and just watch. I have to resist the urge to check my own watch, since it won't do me any good, and I have to resist trying to get her to stop pacing, that won't do either of us any good.

She looks at her watch again, and stops in her path. Lifting her head she just looks at me for a second and I give her an encouraging nod. She can do this, we can do this. So she pulls in a deep breath and then crosses to the counter and picks it up.

There's no reaction for what feels like hours as she stars at the little stick, trying to mentally process whatever the read out is saying. And then she lifts her head to catch my eyes in the mirror and her smile is brilliant, and my heart stops. "Yeah?" I hear myself question.

She nods setting the test back down, turning around to face me. "Yeah."

"We're gonna have a baby?" I ask just wanting to hear it out loud.

She steps into my arms brushing a kiss over my lips, "We're gonna have a baby."

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><p><strong>Tell me what you thought!<strong>

**Babyrose**


	12. Emotionless

**Well Shoot this was supposed to go up before _The Limey_ and the site ate it instead. Alright well this wont help anyone but it's next.**

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><p><span>Emotionless – Good Charlotte<span>

I'm surprised by the knock on the door at well past midnight, but it doesn't stop me from going to open it. I'm desperate for company and yet in no fit state to have company. The blonde, Sarah? Kelly? I don't remember, left hours ago when it became obvious to her that there was no actual potential in dating me.

What I'm not expecting is to find Detective Beckett on the other side of the door, in a floor length black gown. She must have come straight from the undercover re-con operation she was going on, the one that I'd blown off in favor of Jessica? But what did she care she was going with that English guy, and he'd shown interest in her, and I'd watched her flirt back. Just another sign that I'd missed in the last nine month.

"Beckett, what are you doing here?" I do my best to keep my face, my body language, my voice emotionless, as I open the door for her.

"Castle what happened?" She asked sounding desperate, for reasons unbeknownst to me.

"What do mean what happened you were the one that went on the stake out you tell me what happened." I can't help the snark that's crept into my voice.

"Rick…" it really is desperate now, "we were doing fine and now… what happened?"

So she's noticed, and she's doing something about it. None of this jives with the theories I've been spinning in my head. "Kate," I'm doing my best to keep the emotion out of my voice, but it's breaking through and for the first time since the observation room I feel something other than angry, "you lied."

She's taken aback by that, "I lied?"

"Instead of just telling me you didn't feel the same and letting both of us move on with our lives, you let me think that there was a chance if I just let you work some stuff out."

She's blinking at me, and I can tell that she's caught on because she puts a hand on her hip and takes a deep breath. "Richard Castle you really that blind?" It's my turn to feel desperate and try and find somewhere in the conversation to hold onto, but she doesn't even let me get a word in. "You think I didn't tell you I heard to give you an out. Did it ever occur to you that it might have been because I feel the same way. That maybe I just wasn't ready at the time?"

She's giving me that safe look she has for suspects when she just doesn't believe them, and a fail to say anything as a result. "You know what Castle, spend more time with Carly I'm sure you are perfect for each other. I'll work on not caring." And then she's living in a swirl of black fabric.

I do the only thing I can think of and grab her wrist, "You didn't tell me because you didn't know how to say…"

"How to say I love you too." She finishes, and I can hear the tears in her voice as she's leaving.

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><p><strong>Stupid site. I'll see you guys tomorrow.<br>**


	13. The Way You Want Me Too

**Sorry! Sorry! About the last chapter I know it was the last thing anyone needed last night so let me make it up to you! This is actually has something fluffy in it it's that fluffy. Into the future:**

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><p><span>The Way You Want Me To – 98 Degrees<span>

"You're taking this rather well." He honestly looked pleased though, even though there was some confusion in his voice, as he walked over to join me in the kitchen.

"What am I supposed to do, Rick? Tell you to take him back?" I added the veggies to the stir fry pan watching him.

"I thought you'd be more upset about it." He's really confused by this.

I however am not really bothered about it, "I wish you'd talk to me about it first, maybe let me help pick," I shrug, looking into the living room where the poor dog is being tackled by two toddlers, and remaining very calm about everything. "He seems to be doing just fine."

He walked around the counter to wraps his arms around me, "Thank you for being so very cool about this." He pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Yeah well you're in charge of taking care of him." I smiled relaxing into him as I add the sauce to our dinner, "Do you have a name picked out?"

"I was gonna let the kids name him."

I shook my head, "No way they'll name him something ridiculous, they're 4 and 2. We are not letting toddlers name the dog."

He laughed the noise reverberating through me, "Fair enough. Why don't you name him then?"

"Ok," I find myself amused with the idea of naming the dog that I hadn't known we were getting. "How about Rook?"

"Rook?"

I can hear the skepticism in his voice and I can't help but laugh, "Well we can't very well name him Heat." I grin stepping out of his embrace to pull out plates.

He's looking at me a little stunned, apparently even after all this time he hasn't adjusted to my sense of humor some times. But he recovers quickly, "And why not Jameson."

"A were not naming our dog after what most people will assume is a bottle of whiskey and not a character in one of your books, and B I want the kids to be able to say it."

"So Rook hun?" He's now looking at me like he's oddly in impressed with me and can't help falling in love with me even further. It's the same look that led to me getting pregnant the first time.

"Yeah mister I'm gonna adopt a giant puppy and not tell my wife about it."

"He's not that big."

"Castle he's six months old, sixty pounds,comes up to my knee, and has paws the size of plates. How big is he going to get exactly?"He rubs the back of his neck, and turns to look at the kids and the puppy. "What was that?"

"Between 100 and 160 pounds probably."

I gasp, "Castle that's massive."

"I know, I know. But they don't run around as much as labs do or any of the mid-size dogs do and they're dogs and not weird ornaments."

I look at him and can't help groaning the dog isn't going back so I might as well accept it, "Fine the dog stays but you're in charge of vacuuming with all that fur."

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><p><strong>Again sorry about the last one's poor timing. But hopefully this soothes your broken hearts.<strong>

**Babyrose.**


	14. Warm Ways

**So this isn't even 500 words, but it didn't seem to need more to be perfect and make me smile.**

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><p><span>Warm Ways – Fleetwood Mac<span>

"How do you always know?" I ask softly in the morning light. He's been awake for a few minutes now, but neither of us have moved.

"Know what?" he asks groggily.

"To put your hand over it."

"Kate it's too early for riddles." He whines sleepily letting his eyes drift close.

"My scar, on my ribs you seem to always know to put your hand over it keep it warm so it doesn't get tight overnight. How do you know to do that?"

"It's comfortable." He now moves the hand that I'd been wondering about just a little bit up and down. The arm it's attached to is wrapped around my back because my chest is pressed against his, so my head is settled on his shoulder.

"Nothing magic to it then," I smile.

"Nope, your usually cuddle more when you're tired and achy though, like you're looking for furnace."

"I do?"

He opens his eyes and smiles at me now, "Yeah you do. I'm not complaining though. I like you when you're cuddly."

"When I'm cuddly my scar needs more warmth?"

"Hey you're the one that asked me how I know," he sort of shrugs, "I never thought about it, I just like holding you and that's where my hand falls. How did this get complicated?" His brow crinkles.

"Thank you," I whisper, pressing a kiss to the skin under my face.

"For what?"

"For knowing me so well that you fix problems without even trying."

"Any time." He says softly, "It goes both ways you know."

It's my turn to be confused, "What does?"

"Knowing me so well that you fix my problems without even trying."

"What problems?"

"I am tired and achy too but I never have to bring you to me. You always just come."

"It's where I want to be," I tell him honestly.

"And it's where I need you to be so it all works out just perfectly," he's grinning.

"Castle…" I try and sound admonishing but I can hear it fail complete.

"Does it not?" He asks, and all the sudden this seems to have become a much heavier conversation than it started out.

So I go for keeping it light, "just perfectly."

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><p><strong>Did it make you smile?<strong>

**Babyrose**


	15. Follow You Home

**This is my fourth try at posting this chapter. The site keeps eating it. **

**Anyway this maybe isn't the happiest one I've written but it has a lot of hope in it and it makes me feel a little bit better about what's coming.**

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><p><span>Follow You Home – Nickleback<span>

I'd left. I'd slammed the door behind me and I'd left. Told him I need time, and I left. Then I'd driven around the city for at least an hour before I'd convinced myself that I just needed to go home. So now I was dragging my sorry, angry and pissed off self off the elevator intending to pour myself into bed and just try to not think about it. To try to not deal with it.

But that wasn't going to be an option because he was there. Just leaning against my door, watching me, waiting for my reaction. "You said you needed time, not space."

"Castle…" I groaned I really didn't want to do this now. Not when I was so mad at him.

"No you said time not space, the last time I gave you both of those you disappeared for three months. I'm not letting you do that again." There's a hard quality to his voice, a very serious quality that I've rarely heard.

I'm too wound up and too tired to do anything but nod because he's right and that's my fault. "Fine," I tell him as he stands and moves so I can slide the key into the lock, "But you're sleeping on the couch."

"Fine," he agrees, following me in making no move to crowd me or even talk to me, just being there.

So I ignore him and go about my business getting ready for bed, listening to him, waiting for him to come and get me, to come and try and make me talk. But he never does, and as I cross from my bathroom to my bedroom I can see him propped up on the couch blanket across his legs and he's just staring at the ceiling. Whatever, if that's where he wants to be he can be there, I think to myself closing my bedroom door firmly behind me and crawling into bed.

Except sleep doesn't come, and neither does a coherent though, I'm just lying there in my cold bed staring at the clock, not getting any sleep what so ever. I know the problem, and I know the solution. What pisses me off is that he was right so it takes me an extra half hour before I get out of bed and wrench open my door with more force than necessary, and pad into the living room.

"Rick?" I say quietly into the room.

"Yeah?" comes the gruff reply from the couch.

"Come to bed." I tell him, before turning and going back into my room leaving the door open as I crawl under the covers.

It doesn't take long before he's joining me, laying down on his side, not being any more presumptive than that. "I'm still mad at you," I whisper into the darkness.

"I know."

"I still love you," I tell him because I feel like that's what he fears.

And the sigh of relief from the other side tells me I'm right. "I love you too," he tells me tangling our fingers in the middle of the bed and we finally both drift off to sleep.

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><p><strong>For me it seems to loosen the claws of fear in the face of the secrets actually coming to light and the season finale. Does it help you?<strong>

**Babyrose.**

P.S. Sorry to every that got a bunch of email alerts about this i'm really annoyed with the site at the moment but i'll forge on with the daily doses of fluff.


	16. Marry the Night

**Thank you for baring with me when the site was being miserable yesterday the last chapter is working now if you didn't read it yet. This one is well it makes me a little giddy.**

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><p><span>Marry the Night – Lady Gaga<span>

It's the first warm night of spring. So far the days have been warming up and then at night the city has plunged back down into freezing temperatures. But today was the first time that we'd left the precinct and I felt like an idiot for bringing my coat with me because I hadn't needed it at all.

She'd laced her fingers through mine as we'd left work and leaned into my shoulder, "Come home with me?" She'd asked softly waving goodbye to the boys.

I just nodded, normally she came home with me, or she'd go home by herself for a bit and then came over, or called me later and had me come over. Not that any of this mattered; I'd go where ever she wanted me too. She had this happy, light, and content look about her as she smiled at me softly, climbing into the car, and I was more than happy to spend time with her while she was like this.

It turned out she had a whole plan that involved making me dinner and eating it on the little rooftop patio she had, just so that we could enjoy the beautifully warm evening. She had all these candles and lanterns hiding all over the small space so even as the sun faded from sky and black took over the sky the patio was bathed in a soft warm light. Adding to her happy, content look, "you're gorgeous today." I told her as she came over to perch herself in my lap.

"Just today?" She asked amused, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Well all the time. But you're very glowy and happy today."

"I love spring," she sighs, looking out at the city, before looking back at me, "and I love you. So why shouldn't I be happy."

I swallow, she's told me she loves me, but it's not usually so carefree and unprompted. It makes me feel even more light and carefree than I had before, "Yup, gorgeous all the time."

Which nears me a gentle chuckle. "Such a way with words you have Mr. Castle," she teases.

"They got me you."

"No they didn't, all your silly actions got me your words merely annoyed me." She was smiling whispering the words in my ear as her fingers slipped through my hair, her light pink nails gently grazing my scalp.

"Well from here on out I promise to be silly even more of the time."

"Promise?"

"If that's what you want."

"Promise you'll always make me laugh?"

"Always."

"Promise you'll marry me?" and the air seems stolen from the planet.

I can't tell if she's actually asking or just telling me that she's ready whenever I am. Of course there's a ring in a drawer in my desk, so I pulling a deep breath of spring air and answer, "Promise."

"Ok." She nods against the skin of my cheek. "Rick take me inside."

"If that's what you want."

"I do."

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><p><strong>If you're so inclined could you please describe how your feeling after this. Also I have an interview in an hour and happy thoughts would be appreciated.<strong>

**Babyrose**


	17. Help!

**You guys are so wonderful! Your response to the last chapter was phenomenal! Now here's your next dose of fluff. Also if you can read the note at the end I need some help with a life decision. Now for Help!**

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><p><span>Help! – The Beatles<span>

"Kate!" The panicked call came from the kitchen. I looked up from the paper work spread out across the desk trying to discern if he needed something.

"Rick?" I called, part of me hoping that I he didn't actually need anything but knowing in the back of my head that there was no way that was possible.

My suspicions were confirmed when the panicked, "Help!" came back.

Scrambling out off the office, "What's wrong?" I asked just as I emerged out into the main room to see him in the kitchen hopping on one foot holding a baking sheet in one hand and waving the other one around like a lunatic, he must have burned himself.

"Burn… stubbed my toe, which is bleeding somehow… there's no where to put these… help?" Oh man he did look pitiful, but the counter was covered in cookies.

Making my way over to the counter I shifted a few things out of the way so we could set the tray down. "Ok give me that." I picked up a hot pad to that I could take the baking sheet, he handed it over, "Now you go run the burn under cool water and I'll go get band aids for your foot," I directed. Shaking my head I disappeared into the bathroom, two toddlers and he was the one that we needed the first aid kit for most.

Returning to the kitchen he was still running his hand under the water and trying to keep the bleeding foot off the ground, "How did you manage this Castle."

"I have no I idea," he whined, "I went to get the last sheet of cookies out and burned my hand but I don't know how I cut my foot. I must of have caught the corner of the cabinet or something. I just looked down and it was bleeding."

I smiled up at him, he'd really just nicked the top of his foot but apparently he caught one of the veins there, "You really are hopeless sometimes, how is it you never got shot?"

"Luck?" He chuckled.

"Right, luck?" I hummed softly cleaning him up and bandaging the wound before standing to look at his hand, "Not so bad." I pressed a gentle kiss to it, "What are all the cookies for?"

"Nate's preschool bake sale."

"Are we single handily providing all the baking?" I looked at the impressive array of cookies, there were at least three types.

"I was just supposed to make chocolate chip, but I found these other ones, fudge and then ginger ones that I had to try." He was grinning sheepishly.

Plucking one of the fudge ones from the counter, "Well we might as well eat some of them." I popped it in my mouth. It was amazing, soft and ridiculously chocolaty. "Oh my god," I practically moaned earning a look from him.

"I'm the only one that's supposed to make you say that like that."

"You made the cookies."

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><p><strong>Alright I really could use help on this life decision. I moved to DC after school in hopes of getting a job and I still haven't gotten a real one, but it's very possible that I'm going to get an offer tomorrow or Monday for a campaign job. Downside it's in Northern Wisconsin (I went to school in Southern Wisconsin. Like on the border with Illinois southern Wisconsin. It's like 85 hours a week right now and by November it could be upwards of 100 hours a week. I would also need to move there within two weeks. So I need some outside perspective do I give up on DC right now in the name of a job and hope it leads to a job here later? Or do I bypass this job offer in hopes that I get something in DC?<strong>

**I'm seriously struggling, and could use your help, please! If you don't have any idea what I should do send me your favorite cookie recipe.  
><strong>

**Thank you!  
><strong>

**Babyrose**


	18. The Finish Line

**Before the next chapter I just wanted to take a second to thank all you wonderful people that took the time to drop some advice about the job decision I asked about last chapter. It makes me really proud to say that I'm apart of a wonderful fandom of people that aren't just there for you when your freaking out over fictional characters but also when you're facing very real life decisions. Your response was phenomenal and I was litterally floored by it so thank you. **

**Now enough of my job drama, I'll let you know what happens, and onto beautiful Caskett Fluff because who are we kidding no matter what type of day it is you can definitely use some.**

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><p><span>The Finish Line – Train<span>

It was the hotel room that they were going to spend the night in before he whisked her away, but for right now it had been transformed into a salon and she's sitting in the middle of it as people fuss with her hair and makeup. She can hear Lanie, Alexis and Martha all telling stories and laughing but she doesn't join in. She just tries to absorb all of it. She really just wants to process all of it and remember every little detail of this day.

But before she can process much of anything the girls are helping her step into the beautiful lace gown, with the little row of buttons that come to the bottom of the plunging back. Alexis is adding a necklace before she can refuse, Martha has a pair of earrings for her, and Lanie's written on the bottom of her shoes in blue ink, and they're all smiling and laughing as the coax her out onto the roof.

Then they're gone and she's standing with just her dad and he's got tears on his cheeks and telling her she looks just like her mom and that he couldn't be happier for her. But before she can respond he's slipped her arm through his and he's guiding her down the aisle and nothing else matters because she can see the finish line.

Everything seems to sparkle around her. They spent hours planning this, much to both of their chagrin at times. But they'd both had an urge to make sure that it was perfect, so when one was being hissy about picking something out of the amount of time they'd spent on one particular decision the other had talked them off the ledge and then enlisted someone else's help. She was sure it was perfect around her, all that mattered was that it was sparkling in the edges of her vision and that his blue eyes were sparkling only inches from her face.

She struggles to follow the words of the ceremony, to repeat the words she needs to and read him the vows that she agonized over for days and she ended up changing as she said them anyway. She's giddy at the feeling of the thin metal band sliding on her finger, and sliding one over his own.

But then he's wrapping an arm around her waist the large warm hand coming to rest on the smooth bare skin of her lower back, and he's brushing his lips over hers, as her arms wrap around his neck. Distantly she can hear the crowd clapping but it doesn't matter when the separate because they way he's looking at her… She wouldn't trade anything in the world for it.

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><p><strong>Nothing to easy my job worries like a Castle wedding. Tell me what type of dress you would like Kate to wear on this inevitable day?<strong>

**Babyrose**


	19. Nice and easy

**Again thank you for all your thoughts I made the decision that's best for me, some other things happened basically in the last 8 hours that helped me decide. Which will be the best decision for me long term. **

**Now on with the next update. Happy in the sense that it's a conclusion to something that we all want over. If I owned castle I won't be asking for career guidance would I?  
><strong>

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><p><span>Nice and Easy – Frank Sinatra<span>

She had her head buried in his neck, so that he could feel the tears escaping her eyes, and her arms were locked around his waist holding her body to him so that he could feel every sob that rolled through her. All he could do was only onto her and whisper warm nonsense against her temple and as he press sporadic kisses there.

He could hear the sirens approaching, the backup that was ten minutes too late, and in the end hadn't been necessary. Part of his mind is wondering why this type of thing always seems to take place in a warehouse, another part is telling him that this time it was just to screw with her, but most of him is trying to figure out how to get her calmed down enough to talk with the arriving crews.

But she can hear them too, and she's taking deep breathes against him not moving just trying to get herself under control. "Take it easy Kate, no one is going to expect anything from you right now. Just take it easy. I'm right here."

She breathes deep again and presses a kiss to his neck as her finger curl into the fabric of his shirt. Then she's pulling away just a little bit, but not actually untangling herself from him, just enough that she can look up at his face. "Thank you." It's all she says, it's all she can say in that moment but she's lifting up on the toes of her sneakers and brushing her lips against his.

Its soft, and light, a gesture of undying gratitude. He lets her have that before he brings his hand up to cradle the back of her head and dive deeper changing the meaning from thanks to one of undying love for her. And for the first time since he's known her, she follows without a second thought.

But then the sirens are throwing flashes of reds and blues over them and they can hear the engines of vehicles being cut, and he's the one that has the good sense to pull back. Taking a second to see a whir of emotions cross her eyes, he don't let go just yet though. He holds her for a minute pressing a kiss to her forehead letting his eyes close in gratitude that this is all over and that she's still here with him and in one piece.

Now it's her that steps out of his embrace, but one hand trails down his arm until she can lace her fingers with his and give them a gentle squeeze as she gives him a soft smile. Then they head to the mass of unmarked and squad cars fingers still linked.

You can see the confusion on everyone's faces trying to figure out where they're needed what happened. But it's Esoposito that finally yells for them, asking what the deal is, and only then does she say the words, "We got him."

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><p><strong>Thoughts?<br>**

**Babyrose**


	20. Let Love In

**This is something I really want to see on the show one day I think that it would be so wonderful and so very them.**

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><p>Let Love In – The Goo Goo Dolls<p>

I opened my eyes to Kate sitting in the bed next to me, at some point in the night she'd found a t-shirt of mine and thrown it on. She was leaning against the headboard, with the bedside light on and something in her lap that she was reading.

I reached across the bed under the covers to ghost along her long legs, which I was grateful to find that she had left bare under the comforter. "Hey," I managed to rasp, drawing her attention.

She looked over at me, with a soft content smile. "Hey," she replied, reaching over to run her fingers through my hair, in a move that seemed so practiced you wouldn't believe that it was the first time she'd ever done it.

Wiggling closer I wrapped my arm around her waist under the t-shirt, "What are you reading?" I asked pulling in a deep breath of cherry filled air as my eyes drifted closed, as her hand continued to slip through my hair.

"Your manuscript," she hummed.

"Where'd you find it?"

"On the desk."

"It's not finished yet."

"I figured," she told me as I heard the pages dropping it on the floor before she slid down next to me, my arm pushing up the t-shirt as she looked at me. "So how does it end?" her breath ghosted over my face.

I opened my eyes to find her golden green ones looking at me, "How do you wanted it to end?"

"Really?" she smiled, her fingers tracing my jaw line, short light pink nails sending tingles through my skin.

"Really, what?"

"You're asking how I'd like it to end?"

"Well you are the inspiration for it." I tipped my head foreword to catch her lips in a kiss, pulling her closer.

"Happy," she swung a leg around my hip, "I don't care as long as it ends happily."

"No other requests?"

She shook her head, nose ghosting over my skin, "No, it doesn't matter as long as they don't end up in the hospital again."

"What if they end up in bed?"

She laughed softly, "That would be happy," and then she leaned in capturing my lips.

"I like waking up to you reading in my bed."

"I like waking up here."

"So we can make this a permanent thing?" I asked ghosting my hands along her skin, bunching the shirt she'd borrowed even further up.

"Me waking up here?" she asked as she rolled me onto my back and came to rest on the juncture of my hip. I could only nod as she pulled the t-shirt off and discarded it over the side of the bed, "Yeah I think we can make that a permanent thing."

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><p><strong>Personally I'd like to see this before the end of the season but that might just have to be a pipe dream. Did you like it?<br>**

**Babyrose**


	21. For Your Entertainment

**I suppose I'd be taking this from AM who said if they do a Nikki Heat premiere it would be in NYC. Happy Easter! I hope you had a lovely day no matter what and if you're ever feeling ambitious make a crepe cake. It's totally worth it.**

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><p><span>For Your Entertainment – Adam Lambert<span>

"For your entertainment." He laid the copy of the paper down in front of me.

"What did you do this time Castle?" I asked picking it up looking to see if he'd somehow made it onto the front cover again. "Did you land yourself on page six for some ridiculous thing that you managed to do while I was with my dad."

"Well I did land myself on page six but not because of something I've done." He grinned at me plunking down in his chair so that he could lean against the desk and watch me.

So to amuse him I unfolded the paper to page six expecting to see a picture of his mischievous grin. Instead, I was greeted with a half page ad of the Nikki Heat movie as two tickets fluttered into my lap. "Castle what are these?" I asked laying the paper down and picking up the tickets.

"Two tickets to the New York premiere of _Heat Wave_." A cat ate the canary look taking over his face.

I quirked my eyebrow at him, "Seriously?"

He almost looked affronted, "Yes, seriously. It's a movie based on my book, about you, set in New York City of course they're having a New York premiere."

"So I'm to assume that one of these tickets is for me and the second is for a date of my choosing," I asked very seriously, rewarded by him swallowing hard.

"Well I was thinking… that we'd you know go together… Since we're … but if you want to take some one else I'd be happy…" He was floundering so much is was really rather adorable.

"Chill Castle, I don't want to go with anyone else. I don't really want to go at all, but someone will have to keep you in line at this thing."

The sparkle was back in his eyes, "Really you'll come with me?"

"Yes, I'll go with you. Is this how you reacted when a girl said she'd go to prom with you?"

He relaxed now, leaning back in the chair. "I'll have you know that girls asked me to prom. Any way this means that I get to see you in a fancy dress and have an excuse to hold your hand at work."

I shook my head, folding up the paper and setting the tickets on top of it so that I could use my keyboard again. "You know who I would like to invite though, if we can?"

He know looked at me curiously, "Who?"

"My dad." I asked biting my lip nervous about this for some reason.

Castle however just smiled, "Already sent him a ticket. The boys, Gates, and like half the precinct are coming as well."

He really could be the most wonderful person sometime. "Well at least we'll be amongst friends," I managed to say before my phone rang, "Beckett."

I took down the details before hanging up the phone, "And now for your entertainment: we have a case." I stood pulling on my jacket, before leaning over to brush a kiss across his cheek, "Thanks Rick."

* * *

><p><strong>I request the Nikki Heat premiere appear early in season 5, requests for season 5? It'll help me come up with more of these.<br>**

**Babyrose**


	22. Wow

**For all the fan girls I just hope this makes you laugh.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Wow – Snow Patrol<span>

New York is lousy with these ridiculously beautiful twenty something's that are here to get their start in fashion, or television, or on the stage. And their all trying too hard constantly, the wanna be fashion icons are wearing the latest ridiculous thing, the actors are looking camera ready or they're in dance clothes ready to burst out in song and dance.

So when you see a thirty something women that is completely pulled together, fashionable, but not too far-gone, just enough make up to accentuate and not over do her features. _Wow,_ is the only reaction. You want all of these young girls to pull their lives together so in their thirties they can stand on a street corner and look like her and you'll know they made it.

I'm sitting at a Starbucks waiting for my friend to join me, when I catch sight of this particular woman. She has to be over six foot with the stilettos that grace her feet but rather than being clumsy in them, they are a natural extension of her legs as she shifts from foot to foot.

I can just see her profile and now I know why she appears to have it all figured out, because there's no way she couldn't have looking like that. She's spectacular in person that could only be enhanced through the lenses of a camera.

She must be waiting for someone though because she keeps looking around, peering down the adjacent streets before going back to her phone like it's going to offer up the answer as to where her friend is, and getting no results.

But just as she's about to give up and cab comes to, what I like to call a New York stop, and gentleman climbs out passing bills to the driver. The change in her face is instantaneous; it's as if a fire has been lit, as her eyes sparkle and her smile blossoms. Oh yes this women must be a fantastic stage actor, my only conclusion given that I haven't seen her on TV.

The gentleman's smile is just as big as he wraps his arms around her waist picking her up to spin her in a circle, causing her to laugh, and despite the fact that I'm inside I can almost hear it. But then he sets her down and kisses her, and _wow_ is all I'm left with.

"Whatcha watching?" Kelly asks taking the seat across from me.

"Oh hi!" I come back to the where I am pleased to see my childhood friend across from me. Now I point out the window to the couple that is chatting rather animatedly, "I was watching her, she's a knock out, but now I'm watching them."

Kelly peers out the window, "Oh my god that's Richard Castle!" She loves him, she's dragged me to several book signings, and then Kelly let out an inhuman sound.

"What?" I'm trying not to be startled.

"That must be Kate Beckett the inspiration for Nikki Heat." Kelly is fanning herself in her excitement.

"She's a cop?" I literally can't believe it she could have it all and instead she's a cop.

"Yes she's so awesome."

I laugh now, "Kelly your acting like your twelve." It doesn't stop her though she just shrugs and keeps watching.

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><p><strong>I've seen several people a) say that Stana is prettier in person (in which case god help all fan girls that met her) b) I believe that this how other people see me when I freak out over fictional characters - mildly confused and mostly amused.<strong>

**Did you laugh?  
><strong>

**Babyrose**


	23. Circus

**I would like to introduce you to Nate and Tori Castle. Nate's been mention briefly before, but they're will be shots about their names in a later chapters I'm sure but for now I give you circus.**

* * *

><p><span>Circus – Britney Spears<span>

He's sacked out against his mother's chest, his little head buried into her neck as she hums him a lullaby. Tori is sitting in my lap wide awake; watching the world go by holding onto the tiger snow cone cup like it's the best thing in the world. Nate's is on the floor where it fell as soon as he closed his eyes and neither of us is going to jostle the kids to retrieve it at the moment.

The kids are funny like this though where Nate's reaction to over stimulation is to just fall asleep, Tori's is to stay wide awake and process just like her mother, as long as you let her process it's fine. But if you try and get her do anything then all hell will break lose. So she sits and watches presumably trying to process the circus we're on our way home from, Nate has just shut down, but it doesn't matter because they're both being quiet.

Kate has her head resting against the head rest turned towards me, but her eyes are closed as she hums the soft tune for Nate. This had been purely my idea, taking the kids to the Circus, her arguments had ranged from it being inhumane to over stimulating for toddlers. But she'd eventually caved and had laughed with the kids as which was just beautiful to see. Even as the both toddlers scrambled onto her lap when the tigers came out, she managed to keep them entertained and safe all at once.

"You're staring," she mumbles without opening her eyes.

"You think you'd be used to it by now," I whisper back as her eyes drift open.

"Doesn't mean it's not creepy."

I smile lifting a hand to run my thumb over her jaw line. "It's not creepy to watch the love of my life and mother my children. It's then called adoring," I inform her.

She turns her head into my hand to press a kiss into the palm of my hand, "I suppose I can let you adore me." She settles her head back against the head rest, "They had fun didn't they?" She asks.

I chuckle squeezing Tori's waist, "Mommy's worried you didn't have fun?" I whisper conspiratorially into the toddler's neck. Tori's only reaction is to wave me away. "She can't stop thinking about it she loved is so much," I turn back to my wife, pulling one of her hands free of the little boy, to tangle out fingers on the seat between us, "and he's passed out so there's no question they liked it."

Her smile is soft and sweet as she fights exhaustion herself, "Ok it was a good idea." She squeezed my fingers.

"Did you have fun?" I ask.

"Yeah, I did," she pressed a kiss to Nate's head, "I don't spend enough time with them."

"Kate…" She's been saying this a lot recently, "you spend every free minute with them."

"They're just growing up so fast." She pouts.

All I can do is agree, "They are."

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><p><strong>Caskett with kids makes me just so happy. Does it make you happy?<br>**

**Babyrose**


	24. Strip Me

**So for those of you that lurk (I love you too) I just wanted you to know that I try and update twice a day so if your not getting alerts then make sure you hit all the chapters. **

**I went pretty literal with this one.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Strip Me – Natasha Bedingfield<span>

She's already undoing the buttons to her shirt when I turn around. Coming close to her I catch her hands with mine as I lean in and kiss her. She tastes like the coffee we just finished, with just a hint of something that is uniquely Kate, as my lips skate over hers. "Don't you think I might wanna do that this time?" I ask as my fingers take over the task of revealing her of skin button by button.

"I suppose that would be an option," she hums softly walking back toward my bed with her shirt hanging open exposing her beautiful skin, unbroken except for by the scar hidden under the pale pink of the bra she's wearing. And then she's crawling back onto my bed and laying down against the pillow, "Are you coming?" You can hear the amusement that sparkles in her eyes in her voice.

"Just taking it all in," I tell her. And I am, they way she's laying in the middle of my bed like it's already her own, her hair shimmering against the brown of the pillows, and the look of need and love in her eyes as she watches me watching her.

And then "Rick," falls from her lips, dripping in lust and I can't just watch anymore so I go to her. Suspending myself above her, still trying to wrap my mind around everything that has happened in the last forty-eight hours that has led to this.

"You're gorgeous," I tell her, but she's decided that the time for talking has passed and she lifts her head up off the pillows wrapping her arms around my shoulders so that she can kiss me, running her tongue along the seam of my lips begging of entrance, which I'm helpless to deny her.

I manage to free her of her shirt before lowering us both back down onto the bed and I can feel her lithe fingers slipping the buttons of my shirt through their holes even as I get her bra off and move down her body pressing kisses to the freshly exposed skin.

Her fingers abandon my shirt, coming up to thread their way into my hair, until I come to her scar. And then she freezes as I pause before pressing a kiss to it, "Castle you don't…"

I don't know what she's trying to tell me, but it doesn't matter, "Kate this scar," my fingers caress the skin, "is a mark of how strong you are, how extraordinary you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different."

My eyes are boring into hers and I expect her to look away, buts she surprises me again, "I love you." And that was the moment I fell over the edge and there was no coming back, the moment when I realize that not only was she it for me, but I was it for her. My charm and her one and done.

* * *

><p><strong>I love the thought that she's his charm and her one and done. Also if you're waiting for <em>Morning Coffee<em> sequel I wrote the opening dialouge the other day and I'm in love with it, now I just have to figure out the rest of the story.**

**Babyrose**


	25. Kite

**Time for a date. :)  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Kite – U2<span>

He blindfolded me when he picked me up this morning; I was trying to not protest because this was basically what I'd expected form him on our first date. And he'd refrained so when he held up the bandanna with a grin I'd rolled my eyes and let him fasten it around my head. This was Richard Castle after all and if he was immature from time to time then he wasn't being himself.

Besides it hadn't been all bad, his idea of leading me was to hold one hand and wrapping the other around my shoulder so that I was tucked into his side. And then he'd spent the whole car ride whispering him my ear, things that should never be repeated outside of a bedroom.

But now were standing in what I believe is an open part of the park, and he's standing right behind me. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what Castle, it's not like you've given me any clues?"

"Well then I guess we'll just leave this on for a bit." I can hear the amusement in his voice.

I lift my hands up to my face now, the joke can only go on so long, if he won't take it off then I will. But his hands come up and stop mine, before undoing the knot and pulling the bandana away. I was right we're standing in the park and it's full of people with kites. "Wow," I manage to exclaim trying to take in the variety of kite's floating over the meadow.

He's now wrapping himself around me, "Well what do you think?" he asks against my ear.

"What is this?"

"A kite festival, I thought we could have a picnic and fly a kite today. Sound like fun?" He's pulled back just a little bit so that he can look at my face.

I smile, "That sounds like a wonderful idea." And then relishing in the ability to do it now I lean in and press a kiss to his lips, "I hope you brought a kite, and the picnic."

His grin is wolfish now in glee as he pulls the backpack I hadn't seen yet off his shoulder. "Everything we need for a kite flying and picnicking adventure."

He brought a pretty basic kite with him, at least by Castle standards. But he insisted that if the classic worked why mess with it. So he'd run until it had caught air and now he had me bracketed between his arms, chest to my back and we were both flying the kite. "This is really nice," I hum.

"Certainly is different than how we normally spend our time."

"I thought you liked solving murders," I tease.

"I like anything that involves you," he replies softly, and the words knock the wind out of me, even as the kite hitches in the sky unexpectedly.

I finally find it in me to return, "I like when things involve you too."

"Well that's good because you're stuck with me now."

* * *

><p><strong>Kite festivals are beautiful. I have no idea if they have one in Central Park but they do one on the National Mall during the Cherry Blossom festival and it's quiet a sight<strong>

**Babyrose**


	26. I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles

**Sorry for my absence the last few days, but I promise to make it up to you with plenty of fluff before Headhunters and after it because I still don't have a clue how it's going to end.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers<span>

The cab was pulling up to our building when then my phone ran, it was her, our scheduled 10pm phone call. She had no idea I was here, I'd caught the early flight home. She'd been whining about boredom since Gates had put her on leave just as I'd left for my two week trip to Texas, California, Chicago and DC. So I'd cut the Chicago, D.C. leg in favor of being home with my wife.

"Hey Babe," I answered the phone taking my bags from the driver in exchange for the fare, "How are you?"

"Rick you have to come home!" The strangled plea echoed across the line.

Panic shot through my veins, "What's wrong? Are you ok is the baby ok?"

"I'm in labor. You have to come home!" She groaned, and all I could do was listen as I handed my bags to the doorman, who was already walking them inside behind the desk and I turned back out the street to hail another cab. "Castle? You hear me you have to come home, I need you for this."

"I'm on my way. Where you are?" I assure her trying to get information out of her without making her any more nervous.

"Presbyterian. Castle," It's a whine, "I need you."

A cab comes screeching to a halt in front me and I climb in covering the mouth piece on my phone to tell the driver where to go. "I'm gonna be right there. You're going to be fine, deep breaths just like in class and I'll be there as soon as I can. Kate babe?" I ask and she just moans a little bit, "Is anyone with you?"

"Alexis and my dad. Rick I need you."

"I know you do. I promise I'm gonna be right there."

"Ok,ok." She was pulling in the Beckett resolve, "They're taking me to my room. Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"Just get here."

"Soon as I can."

"I love you."

"I love you too." And the line disconnected. Apparently my gut had been right about coming home early. "Can you go any faster?" I ask the cabbie and received a dismissive wave even as the car gains a little speed on the quiet roads.

I call my mother, Lanie, the boys, even Captain Gate and leave short messages trying to not feel annoyed at red lights. Finally, blissfully, the cab comes to a stop at the front doors and it takes me no time at all to find the elevators and punch the button for the maternity ward.

I must look frazzled because the nurse that greeted me as I walked out is staring at me in disbelief, "You're Richard Castle?" That or she's a fan.

"Yeah, yeah I am. Look my wife just got admitted, Katherine Castle, where is she?"

She swallowed and glanced at the chart before pointing down the hallway, "Third door on the left."

"Thank you," I call over my shoulder sprinting to the room. "Kate?" I open the door

"Castle?" She sounds so relieved, "You got here so fast?"

"I was trying to surprise you by coming home early."

She wrapped her hand around mine and squeezed tight breathing, "Sorry I ruined it."

"You didn't ruin anything, I'm just glad I was here could miss Nathan's arrival could I?"

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Friday the 13th!<strong>

**Babyrose**


	27. Sweet Home Alabama

**Happy Saturday! Hope it's a lovely day.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Sweet Home Alabama – Lynrd Skynrd<span>

Today had been the longest day. Somewhere between Ryan and Esposito being in a snit over who ate the last donut in the break room and acting like they were five, the tremendous about of paper work that had piled up causing Gates to act like a watch dog until it was all filed, and Castle being tied up in meetings with Black Pawn, it had just been a long and tedious day. So I was quiet happy to be sliding the key into the door of Castle's loft.

"Hey you're home!" I heard him call from the kitchen where I'm sure he was making something delicious for dinner.

Dropping my bag I kicked off my shoes, tossed my coat over the nearby chair, "I'm home." I smile because he's already crossed to me and all I have to do is wrap my arms around his neck as he leans in for a kiss. "I missed you today," I tell him when he pulls back, as I let my head drop to his shoulder.

He hums softly running his large hands up and down my back, "I missed you too… Come on lets have some dinner." He's untangling us and the takes and hand and pulls me into the kitchen.

I perch myself on a stool and watch as he happily flits around the kitchen assembling our dinner pouring a couple of glasses of wine. Picking up the glass, "I like this."

"The wine?"

I smile taking a sip, "Well yes the wine but I like coming home to this, to you," I clarify.

"Is this your way of trying to get me out of the precinct?" There's humor behind the question, but he wouldn't have asked if he didn't think it was at least a possibility.

I shake my head, setting the glass down, so that I can get up and round the corner. Wrapping my arms around his waist I settle my head on his shoulder as he continues to finish dinner. "No this is my way of starting a conversation about where I go home too."

"Well you go home to your apartment, or come here and come home to me."

"And what if I wanted those places to be the same thing?" I ask and he stops what his doing so he can turn to face me.

"You want to move in?" He looks astonished at the idea that this might possibly be something that I want.

"You don't have to look so surprised."

He recovers quickly, "I'm just shocked you're the one asking."

"I'm not that bad."

He's smiling at me endearingly, "No you're not," he tucks a stray hair behind my ear, "I just was going to ask you this weekend, and you apparently got to it first."

It's my turn to grin, "So that's a yes?"

"Yes, please move in," he nods and I stretch up and capture him in a quick happy kiss, "although if you have more shoes for my closet we're going to have a problem."

* * *

><p><strong>Did you smile?<br>**

**Babyrose**


	28. Sweet Dreams

**Because it's Saturday night and the site is kind of dead this is the perfect time for me to post something like this and if you read it great and if you don't I'm not bothered. I'm not a poet and I'm aware of that, and yet this is what appeared with the title of this song, and then the site through a conniption about formatting it. **

**And since I haven't said anything about this in a while: really, if I was an owner or involved with the creation of Castle in anyway would I be posting this kind of stuff? Yeah you think long and hard about that and get back to me. On with my attempt at poetry.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Sweet Dreams – Beyonce<span>

Skin against skin.

Breath against breath.

Fingers against skin.

Lips against lips.

Teeth against skin.

Lips against scars.

Skin against skin.

.

Whispered words.

Whispered promises.

Whispered declarations.

Whispered confessions.

Whispered needs.

Whispered words.

.

Touches branding.

Pinpricks of fingertips.

Scrape of nails.

Full hand prints grabbing.

Fingers tangling.

Touches branding.

.

Lovers.

Writer and muse.

Detective and partner.

Woman and man.

Man and woman.

Optimist and realist.

Soul mates.

Lovers.

.

Muse against writer.

Careful against adventurous.

Light against solid.

Damaged against healed.

Angles against curves.

Sharp edges against smooth contours.

Inspiration against creator.

Muse against writer.

.

Each others perfect.

Her one and done.

His charm.

Each others perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright if you read this and feel like letting me know how you think about it great if not I'll see you in a bit with a more traditional <em>Fleeting Fiction <em>and I have to say I love some of the ones that are coming up.**

**Babyrose**


	29. Unstoppable

**Thanks for your response on the last chapter! Honestly I didn't expect any response so you guys really flattered me. This next piece is all dialogue mostly between to uniforms and briefly Castle. Mostly it makes me laugh and I hope that it makes you guys laugh too.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Unstoppable – Rascal Flatts<span>

"Is that her?"

"Who?"

"The detective Nikki Heat is based on?"

"How should I know?"

"You've been her longer… Man she's unstoppable in there. She's gonna have the confession out of him in two seconds."

"I would not want to be that guy."

…

"She's so hot."

"Dude, she's too old for you."

"She's only ten years older."

"She's too mature for you then."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well for one thing if that is the detective that Nikki Heat is based on then she made detective at 26, youngest person to do that on the force. Besides if that is Nikki Heat then she's married."

"No way! How didn't I hear about that?"

"Cause you have your head up your ass. How the hell should I know?"

"She's married?"

"Yeah she married the author of the Nikki Heat novels. The dude who follows her around all the time."

"You mean Richard Castle hangs out here all the time?"

"You realize we sound like idiots right now gossiping over books and their authors?"

"…we should stop."

...

"Well as I can see the ring on her finger even if that's not who you think it is she's also married."

"Man, I wonder who the lucky bastard is?"

"That would be me."

"… Mr. Castle…"

"Sir."

"Castle, is just fine boys. What are you doing in here?... Ah, watching Kate take down this scumbag. Definitely something that should be watched."

"She's amazing sir."

"That she is… so you guys must be new to the precinct."

"Yes sir."

"Just transferred."

"So why are you watching?"

"We brought him in sir."

"And we've never seen Detective Beckett in action … so we thought we'd stay and watch."

"She is something that's for sure… I just wish she'd hurry up and get this over with we have reservations."

"Big plans?"

"Yup. Five year anniversary."

"…congratulations."

"Thanks… that's it… there we go she got him. Well boys it's been a pleasure meeting you, I'm sure I'll see you around… By the way she is the inspiration for Nikki Heat."

...

"Was that seriously just Richard Castle?"

"Dude chill out…"

"He's my favorite author."

"So go get his autograph."

"That would be weird. Beside I really want Detective Beckett's signature…"

"Seriously dude?"

"What?"

"My 13 year sister is more self-contained about Justin Beiber then you are right now."

"… I'll shut up."

"Good because we should probably do some actual work. No wonder we're not going anywhere fast I've got fan girl extraordinaire for my partner."

"Dude you like Nikki Heat too."

"That's 'cause she's hot."

"Still."

"I'm not the one dying of excitement right now. Pull yourself together."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder. We're cops for god sakes we should probably act like it."

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you laughed.<strong>

**Babyrose**


	30. Realize

**Hi Guys! I'm glad you like the last one! HAPPY CASTLE MONDAY! or as I've started to call it Shipper Monday because between Bones and Castle on the same day there is serious opportunity for me to faint. Any way this one isn't as light as the last one but it has some serious end of season potential.**

* * *

><p><span>Realize – Colbie Caillat<span>

He's been a jerk, acting like a petulant little boy that didn't get his way, instead of dealing with it like an adult. He never really thought that there might be other reasons behind her own lie. He had just felt so broken himself that there was no way to try and rationalize what she'd done. Besides he's never been one to rationalize other peoples actions, he'd always been the one to over exaggerate rather than try and mitigate them.

He realizes that he should have given her a lot more credit as her fingers slip through his using him as an anchor, rather than running from the situation. He realizes that he really has no idea of just how much she loves him until this moment because instead of yelling at him, walking away, or anything that would signify that what he's done was just as bad and instead she's standing there threading her fingers through his.

She hasn't said anything though she's just watched and listened as he clicked through the board, showed her the miniscule about of progress that he's made in the months he's been hiding it from her. And she's holding on. Even when he stops talking she doesn't say anything but she doesn't let go. So now it's his turn to wait, he got to act like a fifteen year old, she gets to be silent.

Only it doesn't last long, she's never been big with words everything he's learned about her has been coaxed from her with carefully place words of his own and observant eye. But this time she talks, "You have to stop." That's all she says and he can't seem to form words to argue with her or to talk it out with her. He just has to wait her out.

"You're more important to me than this. You have to stop." It's like he's been hit by a freight train, he'd never expected it to go this way. When she got mad at him for getting hurt with Slaughter and he demand to know what it mattered to her, she'd hit him and told him she loved him and of course he matter. That had taken his breath away and when she'd broken down over him moving on and how she couldn't begin to explain how sorry she was for how he learned of her own secret.

But that one statement made it clear just how much he's been underestimating her, "Kate… I …"

"Rick, I don't want to hear it. I've spent a lot of time working on this trying to move forward and I can't guarantee that have completely. But there's one thing I do know."

"Kate…"

"I can't do it without you anymore. I have to let go of my mom's case, of my case if I ever want to move on and I can't let my past hold me back from my future. I can't let it keep me from you."

"Kate…" I try again.

"I love you and I'm not letting you go again, so we're going to have to let go of this. Can you do that much for me?"

I can only nod for a second. "As long as I get you," I finally tell her.

"Always," she answers.

* * *

><p><strong>I try and avoid the over use of "Always" buts guys that's the name of the season finale and I'm not sure I'm going to survive.<strong>

**I swear the next one is super fluffy and I'll post it after Headhunters so good or bad tonight I've got your back.  
><strong>

**Babyrose**


	31. What Is Love

**So _Headhunters _hun?I'm trying to figure out what to do with it since I feel like something really important happened and at the same time I definitely didn't get the progression my shipper heart needs.**

**So I'm fast forwarding about 10 years into the future to this little scene.**

* * *

><p><span>What is Love? – Haddaway<span>

"Mama?" Tori's voice came across the counter. She was coloring one of many Disney princess pages while I made dinner.

"Yes, Sweet Pea?" I asked absentmindedly.

"What's love?" I looked up to find my six year old watching me very intently having abandoned her Ariel and Prince Eric page with it's interesting color scheme to ask me the question.

"It's a feeling," I tell her simply rolling and other ball of dough for biscuits.

She shakes her head emphatically chestnut curls bouncing, "No, what is it?" Her brow is furrowed and in that moment I see so much of myself.

"Well it's when you're willing to do absolutely anything for that person, because their happiness is just as important to you as your own," I tell her patiently.

She's latched on to the topic, I can see the Castle sparkle in the blue eyes she inherited from her father, "Who do you love, Mama?"

"Well I love you Sweet Pea."

"And Nate? Even though he's stinky?"

"And Nate even though he's stinky. And Lexi," I tell her using the nickname Tori had latched onto when she was little because it was close to her own, "Even though she's not my baby like you and Nate are."

Tori's eyes are wide, "You love us all the same?"

I nod smiling, "I do."

"What about daddy?"

"I love him too."

"You do?" She looks so surprised.

"Of course I do, Sweet Pea, why wouldn't I?" I slide the biscuits into the oven waiting for the precocious six year old to explain the line of questioning.

"Isabella says her parents don't love each other anymore that's why they have two houses, and I thought love was an always thing. I don't want you and daddy not to love each other anymore."

Rounding the corner quickly I perch myself on the stool next to my baby girl, "Daddy and I have loved each other for a very long time, longer than you've been alive. I love daddy so much that I'm never letting him go. He's mine."

Her little face perked up, "He's yours."

"And I'm his. And you guys are ours and we'll love you always."

"Always?" She'd picked up on the word when she was really little, repeating _always_ as the answer to any number of questions but she seemed to understand what it meant even then.

"Always."

This seemed to satisfy whatever worry she had because she moved on, "Who else do you love?"

"Besides you, Nate, Lexi, and Daddy?"

"Duh," exasperation poured out of her, silly me.

"Well I love my daddy, papa, and grams, Lexi's husband Mark and their baby Carrie, and Uncle Kevin and Javi, and Aunt Lanie and Jenny and all your cousins."

Her eyes were big, "All those people?"

"Yeah all those people," I gave her hair a gentle tug, "you love them too," I remind her.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Not Nate."

"Yes, even Nate."

She huffed and went back to the coloring, "Fine, Nate too."

* * *

><p><strong>Tori might be my favorite self created character, what do you think of her? <strong>

**Also I'd love to hear thoughts on _Headhunters._  
><strong>

**Babyrose**


	32. Walk Away

**Still would love to hear your thoughts on _Headhunters _if you get a chance. Also I highly recommend watching Firefly if you get a chance for a number of reasons, not the least of which is a young Nathan Fillion is worth everybody's time. **

**Now I got this title and one thing poured out of me, and that was all well in fine until I realized that it was very similar to _Realize _a couple of chapters ago (says something about where my mind is regarding this show) so I wrote a different ficlet and was only going to post the second one. But I really love the original and I was torn and then I decided to just post both.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Walk Away – Kelly Clarkson (Take one)<span>

"Don't you dare walk away on me right now." He's fuming, he was so mad at her for three weeks and when she'd finally confronted him they'd had it out. To his surprised he'd been being an ass and breaking her heart on the process because as the observant one he'd completely missed the signs that she was head over heels in love with him too. So they'd fixed it, talked and talked about it, and spent a lot of time not talking about it just enjoying it.

But now he's so mad because instead of listening to him when he'd turned on the board she'd just stared at it for a few moments not listening as he talked about it, and then she'd turned and left his office. "Kate," he called again, "you can't walk away from me. You can't walk away from this." But he can't hear her because she wasn't wearing any shoes when they'd sat down to talk about this, and she's stealthy as a navy seal team without her heels. But he's terrified that she's putting them onto to leave so she's probably putting them on without saying a word to him.

She's not though she'd only made it to the couch on her way, to either the kitchen or the front door before she collapsed on the arm of the sofa, not crying but not really doing anything. He makes his way to her as quickly as possible coming to stand in front of her. He didn't have a chance to say anything before she was canting forward her head landing against his chest, and she chokes out a sob.

The anger at her walking away from him is instantly gone and suddenly feels like more of an ass than he does for the earlier three weeks. He tangles a hand in her hair just holding on to her as she gets the tears out. But it's not long before he feels her mumbling words into his shirt.

He has to pull back so he can be on her level squatting down not letting her go, "Kate talk to me."

Her eyes are damp with unshed tears as her hands to come up to cup his face, her thumbs rubbing over the delicate skin under his eyes, across his cheek bones. "I can't lose you too Rick. I've lost everyone else I can't lose you too."

"Oh Kate," sighs surging up to her, closing his lips over her own in a desperate attempt to prove that he was right there with him. It's an awkward angle for him but if it soothes her worry the ache in his back is completely worth it, "I'm right here. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

She apparently can't get quiet enough because his hands are pulling at his shirt, as she angles her mouth over his, tongue searching for answers, and promises from him, as she pulls him up and they topple over the arm of the couch together.

* * *

><p><span>Walk Away – Kelly Clarkson (Take Two)<span>

"What are you doing in here?" He'd disappeared from his seat next to my desk, an hour ago, left his phone behind which had rung three times before I'd given up waiting for him to come back so I'd gone in search of him.

He was in the observation room, scribbling furiously in his notebook, not really paying attention to me. So I crossed the room to him, letting the door snick closed behind me. He's been suffering writers block lately so the fact that he's writing is a good thing but usually goes home first. I lean against his shoulder, running my hand along his shoulder, so that I could get a better look and his writing.

He looked up at me setting the pen down so that he could wrap and arm around my waist fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt. "Sorry got caught up and didn't want to go home since we have plans after work, and didn't want to distract you. It was the only quiet place."

"Spinning stories are we?" I ask amused.

"It's my job, telling stories is what I do best." He's grinning up at me as he rubs circles on my skin with the one hand.

Swinging one leg over his I settled into his lap. "I do like it when you tell stories," I whisper against his lips before capturing them, smiling into the kiss as he responded wrapping his arms more fully around me.

I pulled back from his lips to press kisses to his jaw line, "Not that this particular scenario doesn't fulfill a number of stories that I've spun over the years, but I believe this violates your rule number one."

"I think the boys know were together," I hummed taking his earlobe between my teeth, "The wedding this weekend was a clue." I rolled my hips against his, and was rewarded with a groan, and enticing me to slip the top button of his shirt undone so that I could get my hand inside it.

His fingers tighten on my hips and swallowed, "If this is some kind of pre-wedding gift I'm not going to complain but if you don't actually want to have sex in here then we need to stop."

I hum a little bit, knowing that he loves it when I do that, as I slid my nails over his skin. "Alexis has called you three times, but won't tell me what she needs so desperately so I'm forced to assume that the two of you are plotting something."

He chuckles a little bit, "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Well I'm done, if you're done we can go," I tell him standing up.

"Yeah, I'm going to need a minute," he makes no move to get up and join him.

I grin, "Well find me when your ready."

"You're leaving me in here," he pouts.

"I thought you like watching me walk away," I teased pulling open the door laughing at his answering groan.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright what were your thoughts? Did you like one better than the other? Tell me please!<strong>

**Babyrose**


	33. Love Story

**This is my favorite one so far, so I hope you like it.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Love Story – Taylor Swift<span>

"It's here!" He crows coming into the loft clutching a manila envelope.

"And what exactly is it?" I ask setting aside the novel I was reading and unfolding myself from the couch and I crossed to meet him.

"Hi," he grins and leans in and kisses me. Then setting down the package he shrugged out his jacket and hung up the coat, dancing in his excitement much like a little kid.

I picked up the package examining it, "Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to open it myself?"

"Hey!" he snatched the package from me, "I believe it's a felony to open someone else's mail."

His excitement is rubbing off on me, "Well are you going to open it."

He waggled his eyebrows, ripping the envelope open with a flourish. Sliding out a book in a green dust jacket, "I present to you the first advanced copy of _Secret Heat_."

I roll my eyes, "Does she always have to be naked?"

He looks a little panicked for a second, "It's the sixth book, she's been naked on all the other ones, this can't not surprise you."

"It doesn't. But as long as she is I'm going to give you a hard time about it." I shake my head extending my hand for it, "Can I see?"

"You've already read it," he says it with a mischievous glint in his eye.

I purse my lips, fighting a smile; he is so up to something. "Not all of it."

"What would you like to read?"

Leaning against the counter I wave a hand, "Oh I don't know, maybe the dedication you've been keeping secret."

"Oh that." He smiles extending the book to me, "I suppose it's time."

Taking the first copy in my hands, running my fingers over the front cover before hooking my fingers around the edge and opening it. The cover creaks open in a way that only a new hard back can and I flip the first few white pages over reverently.

The words on the page stole my breath,

_ To the extraordinary KB. _

_I've written a lot of love stories over the years but ours is the only one I want to live._

"Rick…" I manage to say softly as I look up from the book. Only he's not standing in front of me, he's on his knee in front of me holding a perfect diamond ring.

"Will you help me live that story for the rest of our lives?" He asks, smiling at me eyes glassy with tears.

I nod clutching the open book to my chest, "Yes, yes. Of course I will."

A tear escapes his eye as he stands peeling my hand from the book, so that he can slid the ring on, and then he's leaning in to kiss me the book caught between us and neither of us caring. "I love you so much."

* * *

><p><strong>Please describe your smile after reading this. Pretty please I'd love to hear how it made you feel and telling me about your smile is the perfect way to do that.<br>**

**Babyrose**


	34. This Boy

**Two things:  
><strong>

**1.) I realized at all of these are all in the same story trajectory so they're basically snap shots of their life going forward.  
><strong>

**2.) I know a lot of people have opinions on naming kids but there are two things that I believe when it comes down to it. Alexis is already a nod to Alexander so no way another kid based on Alexander. Middle names are where you pay tribute to people in your lives not the first, we definitely don't need Albus Severus's running around (No offense to J.K. Rowling but that is a horrible name).  
><strong>

**On with the story.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>This Boy – The Beatles<span>

"We need a name." She's lounging against my side rubbing her stomach, as I read the latest Patterson novel and she worked on paper work.

Closing the book, I laid my hand over hers and was rewarded with feeling my son kick against it. "Hum well he certainly can be nameless, did you have any ideas?"

"Nothing too crazy. Something with a nick name, but isn't too stiff if you use the full name."

I chuckle because I can feel her thinking against me, "Ok any other rules I should know about?"

"It has to be good for the playground, and the board room, and the bedroom."

I choke, "the bedroom?"

She turns her head and smiles, before pressing a kiss to the underside of my jaw, "Yes, even the bedroom."

"He's not even here yet and we're talking about him having sex," I groan.

"We don't have to actually talk about that just keep it in mind. You certainly like it when I use your name in the bedroom," She purrs against my neck.

I swallow hard, "Right back to names," earning me a chuckle, "how traditional are we talking?"

"It has to be pronounceable."

I think about it, "Well off the top of my head, Trevor, Liam, or Elijah."

Her nose wrinkled, "No," she shook her head, "Joshua or Daniel?"

Now it was my turn to shake my head, "How about Stuart, Luke, Nicholas, David, Matthew, Nathan, Stephen, Joe, or Mark."

She'd frozen looking at me, "Nathan," she rolled the name around on her tongue, "Nate, Nathan."

"You like it?" I smile.

"Nathan Castle." She says again, a slow grin forming on her face.

"I like it," I agree, "but what about his middle name?"

She shifted, pulled back a little bit, "I was thinking we could name him after the captain?"

I have no idea what she's talking about, "You want to name our boy Nathan Gates Castle?"

She smacked me, "No, after Montgomery?" She's smiling again.

"Nathan Montgomery Castle, you don't think that's a mouthful?" I ask.

But she just shakes her head letting her hand settle over the bump, "What about Nathan Roy Castle?"

"Nathan Roy Castle," I repeat, it's not the most fantastic sounding name, but that doesn't really matter because it means something. "Yeah, Nathan Roy Castle. Nate."

She's humming against me and I'm relieved at how easy it was, Meredith and I had fought over Alexis' name for so long and then she was in labor and I ended up choosing while she was in recovery. "I think he likes it."

"Yeah?" I ask laying my hand on her belly, feeling Nate tap dancing inside. "Hey Nathan we're excited to met you too."

"Really excited," she echoes me in a sense of whimsy that I rarely hear from her.

* * *

><p><strong>The rules on naming kids are from my high school french teacher. She said that if a name doesn't meet the playground, board room, and bedroom requirements then it shouldn't be a name. Probably the best advice I've gotten regarding my future kids.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	35. Survive

**Happy Friday! We're nearly a week closer to a new Castle. That's really all for now.**

* * *

><p><span>Survive – Rise Against<span>

"I'm never going to survive this," he groaned.

"What do you mean you're not going to survive this?" I asked crawling into bed with him. "You better survive this, this is supposed to be enjoyable," I told him sliding closer so that I could close the lap top for him, knowing that he's already saved what he was writing.

"This is enjoyable." His hands came up to slid across satin getting his own revenge, "What I'm not going to survive is you coming out in various…" he swallows, "lets call them outfits."

"You like them?" I ask swinging my leg over hips, running my hand behind his ear.

"I like them a lot," he gritted out his fingers now ghosting up my thighs bunching the material at my waist as he ran them higher, "I just don't need them."

"Oh and why is that?" I asked bending into to nip at his collar bone.

"Because, you're all I need."

"I'm just trying to make this a little more fun," I breath in his ear earning the tightening of fingers around my rib cage.

"This is always fun Kate, making a baby with you is always fun."

"What if were just doing this for fun?"

He pulled back from me, "Kate do you not want another kid, because if you've changed your mind and Nate is enough for you…"

I cut him off sealing my lips over his, running my tongue over the his, coaxing him into relaxing into the kiss. Desperation for air made me pull back and just rest my head again his, "Rick could there possibly be another reason for this to be just for fun."

He's blinking and trying to control his breathing while figures it out what I'm trying to say. Eventually he gets his brain back in control, and his hands ghost round my body to land solidly on my abdomen, "You're pregnant?"

I nod my head against his, "That's what the test said. I'll get Lanie to run a blood test tomorrow," I whisper.

"We're having another baby?" he whispered into the shared air space, a tear running down his cheek.

I nod slipping my arms around his neck into a hug, "A girl."

"How do you know?" He asks reverently.

"I just know."

"The all powerful gut?" He chuckles.

I smile, realizing tears are on my cheeks as well, "Yeah, the all powerful gut."

"We're having a little girl," he sighs, "she's going to be a knock out, just like her mom." He shifts his head so that he can capture my lips in another kiss this one solid, happy and brimming with love.

* * *

><p><strong>I was on a baby kick when writing this batch clearly. Have fun this weekend.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	36. Mean

**Happy Saturday! Hope it's a beautiful day where ever you are.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Mean – Taylor Swift<span>

"Dad!" Came the plaintive cry from Nate as he stomped into my office, I could see his mother just behind him, looking just a little bit irked.

"What is it kiddo?" I hit the save button on the document, telling by the 10 year old's face that this was not going to be a conversation where I could multi-task.

"Mom's being mean," he's pouting hard core, arms folding across his chest and his mother is running her hand through her hair, looking at me desperately. I wave her off, and it earns me a grateful smile as she heads in the other direction towards the sounds of a three eight year old girls and splashing sounds.

Nate is still pouting on the other side of the desk from me. "Why is your mom being mean?" I ask, rounding the desk so that I could sit down.

"She says I'm not allowed to go to work with her on take your kid to work day." Ah that would explain mom's exasperated look.

"Nate…"

"No, Dad she said I could go when I was a big kid and I'm 10 now. So I'm a big kid."

"You are a big kid but Mommy has a really dangerous job and she just wants to keep you safe."

"If it's a dangerous job then why does Mommy do it?" His face is all screwed up and he stomps his foot again.

I smile and listen to his kick ass mother wrestle three girls into pajamas for a sleep over, "Because your Mom is a highly trained super hero."

"You go to work with her when we're in school." Ahh and there's the fatal flaw in my argument.

"Okay kid…" I lean down so I'm at eye level with him, "she spends a lot of time, making sure that I stay safe and she has to make sure that we're both safe then she can't do her job."

"Well if you don't come to work then she can worry about me," he argues back.

I can't stand seeing his pouty face, so I tackle him tickling him, earning me squeals of laughter. "Daddy… dad…" he gasped.

"Alright bud, here's the thing is that while you're a big kid, I had to sign a bunch of paperwork and your mom still didn't want me there at first."

"I'll sign the paperwork," he decrees.

"Nice try."

"But Dad…"

"I know. I know. I'm terrible too. But how about this, you'll come to work with me, and we'll go to the precinct for a few hours together, if Mom says it's ok."

His eyes light up, "Really?"

"Yeah, you, me and Tori we'll go see mom being a super hero."

"Does Tori have to come?"

"Yes, she does."

"Fine," he sort of pouts.

"Come on lets go apologize for to Mom for calling her mean."

"She's not mean," he whispers, from my side.

"No, she's not mean, she's very nice."

* * *

><p><strong>Pouty ten year old boys make me smile as long as I'm not the one dealing with them.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	37. Hard to Concentrate

Hard To Concentrate - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap. "Castle," She snaps.

"What?" I feign innocence knowing exactly what she's annoyed about.

"Stop. With the pen," she growls, shoving a frustrated hand through her hair, trying to regain her concentration on the paper work in front of her.

"Sorry," I apologize immediately setting aside the marker I'd been rhythmically tapping against the arm rest and pulled out my phone, starting up a new game of angry birds.

"Stop," comes the exasperated groan from her.

"What am I doing now?" I though I'd been being quiet.

"I can see you making faces as you play. It's distraction."

I scoff, "Well it's not my fault you can't keep your eyes on the paperwork."

She looks somewhere between pissed and amused, "Why are you even here?"

"We have plans tonight, in case you've forgotten. So I'm not going to leave you here to drown in paper work and then cancel because you can't see me pout when you call."

She laughs, her head thrown back hair tumbling over her shoulders as she reaches out to lay a hand over min. "I can hear you pout through the phone, don't worry." I grin back at her, "And I have no intention of canceling on you. I really want to be done with these and you are making it very hard to concentrate."

"So be done and lets just go," I ask hopefully. I've only gotten her to play hooky once and that was 'cause I already had her naked in bed.

"Can't," she frowns, looking at the stack of paper in front of her, she's actually managed to get through most of it. She looks back at me, "Can you just sit still for 10 minutes?"

"I can try." I nod putting my phone away and settling in to just watch her.

We didn't make it two minutes before she sighed, "Castle can you just go wait in the break room?"

I nod, "Sure. Ten minutes though and then I'm dragging you out of here."

She nods, "Fair enough."

It's not even ten minutes before she's in the break room wearing her coat. "Hi," she says softly extending a hand to help me up.

"All done?"

"Um-hm," she purrs against me, "much quicker without you distracting me."

"Don't let Gates hear that, she's always thought I was a distraction."

"You were," Kate replies capturing my lips softly sliding her arms around my neck.

That little fact makes me really happy, "Well we should go before we do something very distracting."

"Ok," She sighs happily and leads the way to the elevator.


	38. Save Tonight

**Hi! Hope you had a good weekend! Undead Again promo tonight.**

* * *

><p><span>Save Tonight – Eagle-Eyed Cherry<span>

"Good morning." I whispered when I opened my eyes to find him watching me.

He shifted closer, a hand coming up to sweep my hair behind my ear. "It's not morning yet."

I turned my head and pressed a kiss into his palm, "Then why are you awake?"

"Because I want to remember every moment of tonight and if I sleep then I might miss something." He whispers, tangling his legs with mine.

"I'm not going anywhere." Now it's my turn to brush his hair out of his eyes, as his hand skates down my body coming to rest on my hip.

His thumb draws circles on my skin, "I know you're not." He leans in a captures my lips in a soft and languid kiss, before he pulls away with a sigh.

"So what are you afraid of missing?" I lean my forehead against his.

"I like watching you sleep."

"Because you've never done that before?" I chuckle softly, slipping my hand through his hair pressing my skin again his.

He brought his hand back up too my face and a finger floats down the ridge of my nose, "You crinkle your nose when you sleep." Then reached behind his head to lace our fingers together, "And when your dreaming you grab with your hands like your trying to wrap your fingers in my shirt."

I gasp a little bit, "I didn't know that I did that?"

"Just a little thing for me to know," he grinned brings our hand between us, "and appreciate."

"But you're not wearing a shirt," my eyes went to his shoulder looking for signs of my fingernails.

He kisses my fingers, "No damage, it's just nice to know I'm wanted even in your sleep."

Trailing my foot up his calf, "I always want you."

He hums happily, "I know you do."

"So why are you awake?"

"Because this night is only going to happen once."

"You've had this night twice before." I tease him, with a smile. We've been through this a dozen times when we first started dating, but now it's a joke.

He still sobers just a little bit, still happy but serious. "Yeah but this night is only special because it's you and me."

"Best night of your life?"

His smile could light up the city, "Best night of my life," he lifts our joined hands and presses a kiss to the interlocking rings on my left hand, "with the only Mrs. Castle." One of the many things we fought over, but I'm the first and only wife to take his last name.

I capture his lips, adoringly and he rolls us onto my back. "It's still Detective Beckett," I hum between kisses

"You have no idea how hot that is," and then he shifts and I gasp at how fabulous this is every time, "but right now I'm making love to my wife the extraordinary Mrs. Katherine Castle, who I love more than anything."

"I love you too, Mr. Castle."

* * *

><p><strong>I have no idea what Meredith's last name is but I'd like to think that she didn't take his last name either, and I guarantee that Gina didn't.<strong>

**Anyway are you smiling?  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	39. Young at Heart

**Three Things:  
><strong>

**1.) I was incoherent over the promo last night there's maybe 2 seconds of new footage.  
><strong>

**2.) For those of you following my job saga: I turned down the job in WI earlier this month but I just received a job offer here in DC. I'm absolutely thrilled.  
><strong>

**3.) I love this one.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Young at Heart – Frank Sinatra<span>

"Please!" his eyes are big and he's got his hands clasped together as he tries his best begging face.

"Castle, we've got a case were not here for your entertainment." I try to reason with him.

I can see the change in his posture he's not going to give this up, "Oh come on Kate, we already interviewed the guy and you know that Ryan and Esposito are knocking off when they're done so it's not like we got anything to go back to at the precinct." He captures one of my hands dragging me in the direction of his desired destination. "Come on Kate, you know you want to."

I did my heels in for just a second letting him drag me before I gave in, "I married a nine year old."

"And you wouldn't have it any other way," he's positively glowing with joy as he stops so that I run into him and he can wrap his arms around me.

I smile back. It's impossible not to knowing that I make him this happy, knowing that me makes me this happy,"You're right." I brush my nose against his looping my arms around his neck as he captures my lips, sliding his over mine before nipping at my bottom lip and soothing it with his tongue.

Quickly it was turning indecent, if the clearing of several parents throat were any indication so I pulled away. "Alright time to choose, we can ride the roller coaster or we can go home and have sex," I murmur in his ear.

He swallows hard, "I pick option number three."

"And what's that?" I ask.

"Roller coaster an then home for sex," He tell me releasing my waist and stepping away tangling our fingers as them meet.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," I agree following him into the maze for the roller coaster.

"I'm full of good ideas," he grins leaning in closer so that mouth brushes the shell of my ear, "So Mrs. Castle are you a screamer?"

Oh this is so going to backfire on him, as I pull back to look in his sparkling blue eyes, "Oh Richard you know that I'm a screamer." I whisper and scrap my nails across this abdomen moving forward with the line in the direction of the front of the coaster.

Rewarded with a gasp from him as he darted forward to wrap his arms around my waist so that his whole body was pressed up against my back and his face was buried in my hair, "That was so not fair."

* * *

><p><strong>Tell me your smiling! Because today is a good day and everyone should be smiling!<strong>

**Babyrose**


	40. Because

Because – The Beatles

It's storming outside, thunder booming and lighting crackling as water pours from the heavens and blissfully this pair is lying in bed, stated and happy. The covers have been pulled up over their bodies. They're laying on their sides just looking at each other, "I love you because of the way your eyes sparkle when you're excited," she whispers, brings a hand up to trace his jaw line.

He smiles back, "I love you because you're sexy holding a gun."

"Because you know my coffee order," she continues.

And so they begin trading back and forth reasons, "Because you let me take care of you. You let me love you."

"Because I love your stories, and when you spin them at every opportunity."

"Because you smile at my goofy theories." He traces her lips, "Just how you smile at me."

"Because you're always holding my hand." She tangles their fingers

He pulls her closer, "because you're a cuddler."

"Because you always have my back, even if I don't give you a gun."

"Because you read real books, and my books, and comic books, and you know magic tricks." His eyes light up as he remembers that.

"Because you spoil me," She presses a kiss to the nearest piece of skin, "because you take care of me."

"Because you smile into my kisses." He kisses her smile.

"Because you are a wonderful father and a fabulous son."

"Because you always check that I'm good before you enter a room."

"Because you take care of my friends."

"Because you love my family and they love you."

"Because you're a big kid at heart."

"Because you put up with my fans."

"Because you adore them."

"Because you look stunning wearing a gun or a dress or without a stitch."

"Because of the way your fingers skate across my skin when were making love." She demonstrates.

"Because you love that I'm a big kid and play with me."

"Because you know how to make me laugh."

"Because for a coffee fiend you can't seem to make the espresso machine work," He teases me.

"Because your face is priceless when you learn something new about me."

"Because there's always something new to learn about you."

"Because you always come back." She whispers, becoming more serious than they had been.

And he's compelled to assure her, "Because you always take me back."

"Because you always know when I need space, and when I need to talk."

"Because you're always there to help me."

"Because you waited."

"Because you found me, because you saved me."

"Because of your words."

"Because once we jumped in, you've never looked back."

"Because I never have the words but you let me show you how much I love you."

"Because there are never enough words." He assures her, and he's right there are never enough words and so they stop using words.

* * *

><p><strong>I request a smile description.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	41. Some Say

**Hello! for those of you that were waiting for me to update zombies I posted the final chapter last night. Because trying to get zombies just right has been plaguing me for the last couple of days I'm behind on writing these. Fortunately it's a gross rainy day today so I I'm planning a writing fest so that I have lots of fictions to make you smile in the run up to, and the crash after the finale. I got you, no matter what happens I'll use Castle and Beckett to make you smile.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Some Say – Sum 41<span>

"Someone told me that this would get old," we're swaying in the living room to the soft piano music that's floating through the speakers. She had started out giggling at me as when I'd pulled her up off the couch, but know she had her head resting on my shoulder arms around my neck, as she finally gave voice to her biggest fear.

"This is never going to get old," I promise her, hitching her body just a little bit closer to mine.

She however pulls back so that she can look at me, "You've had two other marriages, Rick. They didn't last because something went wrong." Something about that terrifies her again and she focuses on the windows, as if she's afraid to face the reality of this.

"Kate…" but her name's not enough to get her attention, "Hey look at me…" I nudge her chin so that she's looking at me, "I never felt anything like I do with you, with Gina or Meredith, ever. You are…" I struggle to put words to what I'm trying to convey to her, and realize that is exactly the point, "You leave me speechless… I can't put words to how I feel about you, and I can put words to everything." I give her a self-deprecating smile.

She's smiling back even as a tear escapes her eyes, "I make you speechless, hun?"

I nod leaning in and capturing her lips in quick kiss, "You have no idea."

"Well I hope you wrote your vows otherwise tomorrow is going to be really sad tomorrow when you have nothing to say." She's teasing me now, feeling better about what ever had briefly freaked her out.

"Oh don't you worry I have the perfect words for tomorrow," I tell her as we start moving in time to the music again. "But for right now let me just tell you that it will never get old how you smile at me, or how wonderful it feels to wrap my arms around you at the end of a long day."

"Rick you don't have too…" she tries to protest.

But I cut her off, "It will never get old that you love me back and that this is what you want. And it will never get old that you're a kick ass detective and a beautiful woman. It will never get old that you love my kid and you want to have more kids with me."

She's the one that stops me this time as she stretched up on her bare feet and kisses me, wrapping her arms around my head, "You're talking too much, you're not going to have anything left for tomorrow."

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to come up with enough words, because there are never enough Kate."

She kisses me again, "Never going to get old," she whispers pulling back, "We should get some sleep."

"Big day tomorrow." I hum in response.

"A long time coming," she replies.

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><p><strong>Two requests: 1) Is there a scenario that you might like to see play out in 500 words? 2) Smile descriptions please!<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	42. I'm Not Okay I Promise

**Castle's a Drama Queen sometimes, at least in my opinion sometimes and so I used it for this one.  
><strong>

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><p><span>I'm Not Okay (I Promise) – My Chemical Romance<span>

"Kate?" The panicked word came from the doorway.

"Castle." I extended my uninjured arm towards him beckoning him to come in and just hold my hand. Fortunately, he seemed to get it because he stumbled into the room take fingers in his. "I'm okay I promised," I whispered to him.

"You most certain are not," he growls

My dad clears his throat from the other side of the bed, "I'm gonna go get a coup of coffee give you kids a minute."

"Dad…" I try to protest.

As Rick tries to do the same thing, "Jim you don't have to."

My dad waves his hands, "I won't be gone long," and then he slips out of the room.

I turn back to my very panicked writer, "I really am ok, just a concussion, some bruising and a broken wrist," I tell him squeezing his hand, before smoothing my thumb across his knuckles.

"None of that sounds okay," he groans.

I smile, "Fine. I'm not okay, but I will be, I promise."

"Oh god Kate, you scared me so much. Of all the things that could happen to you. That have happened to us you go and get hit by a bus," he whines collapsing into the chair next to my bed.

"It was rather poor timing on my part," I scoff.

"It just makes for a horrible story," he's still whining.

I glare at him, "I'll keep that in mind the next time a bus plows into the side of my cruiser."

He shakes his head, "Sorry, I'm being ridiculous."

"Yes, you are," I smile sadly, giving his fingers another squeeze. "I'm just glad you weren't with me, the passenger side was destroyed.

"Oh god Kate," he moans.

"Rick… hey, hey… Rick," his eyes come back to mine, "I'm fine, you're fine, it's going to be fine. Okay?" He nods, "You'll take me home tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah of course I will," He nods kissing my knuckles.

"We doing okay in here?" My dad is back clutching two cups of coffee, one for him and one for Castle.

I smile back at him raising our tangled fingers, "Yeah we're fine, Castle here, is just being over dramatic."

"One of us has to be," he protests smiling up at me.

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><p><strong>Next one is one of my favorites.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	43. Here In Your Arms

Here (In Your Arms) – Hello Goodbye

The only light in the room was coming from the emergency light over the bed as Kate slept. I was entranced by the bundle of blankets in my arms as I rocked back in fort in the provided rocking chair.

"Hey little guy," I spoke softly to the baby in my arms, "I think you wore mama out, and that's pretty tough to do." I look over at Kate's sleeping form; tendrils of hair that had escaped her braid had dried curled against her forehead, her brow wrinkling as she snuffled in her sleep, "She's pretty amazing though."

"Let me tell you of how Mommy and Daddy met." I redirected my attention to the blue bundle in my arms, "Mommy had her hair super short and dark and she was very very serious when she came marching up to me at a book launch party with her badge and gun and brought me in for questioning." Nate snuffled in his sleep, his forehead wrinkling just like this mothers, as I settled into telling him about our first case.

"That was how your Mommy captured my attentions and then I went in fell in love with her, because lets be serious who wouldn't, but she fell in love with me too so it worked out. And now we have you." I finished looking back up at my wife to find her watching the pair of us.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey there Mom." I grin at her slowly standing up out of the chair to cross to her without jostling Nate.

"Are you already telling stories to him?" She asked, shuffling over on the bed to make room for me.

I chuckled, "He seems to like them just as much as his mom does." I settled next to her so that she could lean against my shoulder.

Bringing an arm around me, she stroked a finger down his tiny nose. "He's perfect," she sighs, I can hear her smile.

Rotating my head, I pressed a kiss to her temple, "He really is."

She turned a head and caught my lips in a quick kiss before we both looked at Nate only to find him looking up at us. "Hey, there little guy," she coos, "He has your eyes."

"All babies have blue eyes, I hope that they the change to look like yours all green with hazel on the outside."

She hum's in disagreement against my shoulder, "Nope they're going to be bright blue just like yours."

"Well then the next one is going to have your eyes," I tell her.

She sucks in a breath against my back, "The next one? Rick I just had this one, plus I haven't had a baby before, I don't know if I'm any good at this."

"Kate, babe you're going to be just fine. Just you wait your going to be begging me for another one."

She presses a kiss to my cheek, "One step at a time Dad."

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><p><strong>Please tell me that your smiling because if this doesn't make you smile then I have to step up my game.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	44. Surrender

Surrender – U2

"Come on Kate, you know you want to," Lanie whined at me.

"No, this is ridiculous I do not need to buy my dress here Lanie." I'm going to hold my ground there is no way I am going inside the store. "Besides I've seen enough TV to know that I would need an appointment here."

"Well if that's all that's stopping you then march your skinny butt through the door," Lanie puts her hands on her hips in a flourish of triumph.

I turned to look at her in horror, "Lanie what did you do?"

"My part of the task," she answered giving me a shove towards the door, "that fiancé of yours is responsible for the appointment time."

"Seriously," I know that I'm looking at her flabbergasted, that I barely register that she's maneuvered me inside and that Alexis and Martha are already sitting on a sofa. "Martha! Alexis!" I sort of squeak. I am glad to see them even if this is a task that I'd been kinda of avoiding.

Alexis is grinning at me, "I see Lanie managed to get you inside," she gives me q quick hug.

"I'm not sure I that I had a choice," I reply leaning over to brush a kiss across Martha's cheek.

"Oh really dear, you're just going to have to surrender and let us dress shop," she teased. Waving at a consultant to indicate we'd arrived and were ready. Before I knew it I was being whisked back into rooms of tulle, organza, taffeta, silk, lace and satin. Everyone was asking what type of wedding it would be the type of dress I was looking for, but honestly it was all a blur until I stepped onto the pedestal in the this dress and the three most talkative women in the city said absolutely nothing.

Alexis finally broke the quiet. "Oh Kate, it's absolutely perfect," she said so very softly coming to stand next to me.

"Richard is going to faint when he sees you in that," Martha said as she and Lanie came to join us in the mirror.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" Lanie squeezed my hand with one of her own, the other batting away tears.

"I want my dad to see it," I breath, realizing that I have to have his approval before I can move forward with it. Fortunately, the consultant is understanding and helps me arrange another appointment so that I can bring my dad.

Adding it to my calendar I make a note to bring extra tissues.


	45. Comfortably Numb

**First day of work today. It was really good, but it definitely messes with my posting schedule. I'll settle into normal soon.  
><strong>

**UNDEAD AGAIN! so soon!**

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><p><span>Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd<span>

"You ok?" I ask coming to take a seat next to him on the couch, after coming downstairs from checking on the kids, after Alexis and Cameron had left still glowing about the news that had left my husband looked like he'd been hit over the head.

He turned to look at me, a hand to landing on my thigh, "Yeah I'll be ok. It's just… when did she grow up?" he sighed, collapsing against the back of the couch. "She's getting married," he moans.

"You like Cameron," I try to reason with him, without laughing at how silly he was being. "In fact you went to the Mets game with him, Kevin, Javi, and the kids this weekend. It was your idea that he go with you guys."

He covers his face, with an arm, he's being dramatic for my benefit. "I know. I do like him, and I know she loves him and he loves her." His arm flops to the couch dramatically making me smirk because both of our children do such dramatic motions when things aren't going their way. "But she's so young."

"Rick she's twenty-nine she'll be thirty when the wedding comes around." I slipped my fingers through his hair, smiling as his head tipped into my hand.

"Exactly my point she's still a little girl," he moans capturing my free hand pulling me closer.

I pressed a kiss to his cheek, settling against him allowing the one arm to wrap around his shoulder. "Rick I was 34 when we got married."

He sputters against me, "You're making me feel old and like a cradle robber all at once."

"We're only eight years apart." I chuckle against him.

I can feel him shift to scrub a hand over his face. "I'm being ridiculous."

"Yes, you are." I press a kiss to his chest, "You're going to be worse when Tori comes through that door with a ring on her finger aren't you?"

"She's three! We are not talking about her dating let alone getting married." I don't have to see his face to know that he's pouting ridiculously in this moment.

There's no point in letting this go on any longer, "You get exactly two more minutes of feeling old and then you're done. Then you get to be excited for Alexis, and start thinking of all the ridiculous things you want to do for the wedding."

"Two minutes? What am I one of the kids?"

"Yup." Untangling myself I stand up and lean over to press a kiss to his pouty mouth, "I'm going to finish cleaning up and when I'm done you're going to go back to the awesome dad and not the grouchy old man dad."

"Grouchy old man?"

"You heard me." I tell him striding towards the kitchen.

I didn't get passed the kitchen table before he was catching me around the waist and hauling me back towards the bedroom, "Grouchy old man, we'll see about that." He huffs throwing me on the bed, waggling his eyebrows as I laughed at him.

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><p><strong>This is approximately the year 2024 if you were wondering. I tell you this because I spent several hours working out the show time line and then the story time line, and someone besides me should know.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	46. Clocks

**So I'm going to assume from the complete lack of response to the last chapter you all were too worried about the actual show, which you should be. Um can I say Undead Again was awesome! What a fantastic episode. And then of course there was the Always promo which had me in the fetal positon saying "oh my god" over and over again. I want it to be next monday so badly and you know if Castle didn't have to end for the summer that would be great. Blah hiatuses.**

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><p><span>Clocks – Coldplay<span>

I knock on the door, smoothing my tie as I wait for the answering call from inside. Alexis opens the door smiling, "Hey Jim, perfect timing." She steps back to let me into the room.

Standing in front of a three-way mirror is my daughter, in her wedding dress. I've seen it before when she insisted I go with her to the store to buy it, but now she's got her hair done, make up just perfect, and the smile on her face is bigger than when we told her we were going to Disney World for her fifth birthday. "Oh, Katie Bug!" I manage to say without tears escaping.

She doesn't turn because Lanie is sliding what I think is the veil into her hair so that it ghosts over one side of her face, "Dad," the smile sweetens, and when Lanie stops fussing she turns to me hand out stretched.

"Oh just look at you." My little girl standing in front of him wearing a stunning lace gown, and I can't seem to get another word out.

Martha takes charge, "Five minutes Kate and then it's time," and then she ushers Lanie and Alexis out the door giving me a few moments alone with my little girl.

She nods letting them leave, looking back at me. "Kate you look like an angel. Rick is a really lucky guy."

"I think he knows that," she says softly, with a dreamy smile that she never wore, even as a child.

"Seriously though he's good for you. Your mom would have loved him," I tell her.

And she laughs, "Because he was her favorite author?"

"That," I smile, "and because of the way he looks at you."

She's being girly today as she gasps, and her hand flutters up to her mouth, "Daddy…"

Now I'm swallowing tears as I go to speak again, "You look so much like her and she would want for you to be happy and he makes you happy."

"Really, really happy," she nods, sniffling.

Trying to get myself together, I pull out the jewelry box from my suit pocket, "Anyway she wore this on our wedding day and I thought that you should wear it on your wedding day."

She's gone quiet, taking the box and opening it her fingers ghosting over the necklace, "Dad it's beautiful. Help me put it on." She hands the box back to me turning around so that I can fasten it around her neck.

"Stunning," I tell her reflection watching her smile despite the tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Dad," she whispers.

For just a minute we linger looking in the mirror, "Alright, Katie Bug, let's get this show on the road before Rick comes looking for you." Because he will and that's one of the many reasons I know he's perfect for her.

She smiles again walking towards the door to scoop up the bouquet of lilies, and then slides her arm through mine. Leaning over she presses a kiss on his cheek and whispers, "I love you Dad."my fingers through his hair, smiling as his head tipped into my hand.

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><p><strong>How you guys holding up out there? Did the Always promo kill you?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	47. Rumor Has It

**Rumor has it... well lots of things that have me curled up in a ball thinking about Castle on a regular basis. Any way on with the fictions.**

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><p><span>Rumor Has It – Adele<span>

"Yo Beckett!" Esposito yelled coming into the bullpen with Ryan.

"Hmm…" was my only response as I continued to hang pictures on the murder board.

"Rumor has it that you and Castle are finally hitting the sheets." He says as the two of them coming to a stop on either side of me under the guise of looking at the murder board.

I couldn't help myself, I laughed. "Rumor has it? Hitting the sheets? What are you guys twelve?"

Ryan tried to fumble a save, "Well we just thought that you guys have been acting more couply lately… well more than you used to and… you would tell us if you guys were…" Ryan stalled.

"…hitting the sheets?" I supplied, amused.

Esposito apparently wasn't letting this go, "If you were you'd tell us though, right? It's not like you guys have been having sex for months and we haven't noticed."

"You guys are detectives, you tell me." I rounded the desk picking up the folder trying so hard not to laugh at them, even though I could feel there perplexed stars, as they tried to figure it out.

"I'm gonna say…" Esposito looked at me narrowing his eyes, "yes you are."

Ryan looked at him and then back at me, "Really dude are you sure?"

Esposito nodded with, I'll call it an approving look, on his face. "Yeah in fact I'm willing to bet that they've been sleeping together for a couple of months."

Ryan still looked contemplative, "If that's true then they are way better at hiding it that you and Lanie were." Earning him a warning look from Esposito.

But just then I saw Castle rounding the corner clutching our morning coffee. "Morning boys," he gave them a nod as he passed them to give me my cup.

"Morning," I smiled and leaned in to brush a kiss over his lips, rewarded with his eyebrows shooting straight up. "The gig is up."

He smiles now, "Oh in that case," he leans in and steals another kiss, "Morning."

"Precinct rules still apply." I smile at him as he pulls away, giving his side a gentle pat.

He makes a face, "But Kate…"

"Castle, it's still a work place," I chide.

"But now they know." He still pouts, gesturing to the boys whose eyes look like they're going to fall out and jaws are hanging open.

I laugh amused again, "Mouth's closed, eyes back in head we've got a case to solve."

"You're really together?" Esposito gestures between us, "You're not just messing with us?"

Castle's arm sudden wraps rather possessively around my middle, pulling me back against him, "I couldn't mess around with this."

The boys both studied us for another moment. "Ok good for you guys," Ryan finally nodded, glancing at Esposito who just gave him a nod.

Then he moved on, "Alright, so I was talking to CSU and they found some unidentified fibers on the body, they're trying to figure out where they came from."

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><p><strong>Rumor has it you're laughing or smiling right now and you should really tell me then so I can put the rumor to rest.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	48. Pieces of My Heart

**People suggested first day of school and I'll probably get to that but this is what came to mind first.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Pieces of My Heart – Janis Joplin<span>

She's standing over his crib, crooning a lullaby as her fingers stroked down his nose. Coming up to stand behind her I looked down at the little boy that was blinking sleepily with the motion of his mother's finger. Eventually his little body surrenders to sleep.

"I don't know that I can go back to work tomorrow," she murmur's softly leaning back against me to just watch him sleep, "I don't think I can leave him."

"Ok, don't go back to work. Stay here with me and Nate and we'll be a shut in family." I smile into her hair.

She inhales deeply, "That's a horrible idea."

"You suggested it. I just gave you the image of what it would actually be." I squeezed her waist that she'd miraculously trimmed back down.

Turning in my arms, she wrapped her's around my waist and settled her head against my chest so that she could still look at Nate. "I'm going to miss you guys so much."

"We'll be here when you get off. And if you feel like you need to see us more often then Nate and I will take a little field trip."

"Rick you can't bring him to the precinct," she whispers looking up at me.

Stroking my hands up and down her back, "Of course we can. We'll even bring you coffee, in an emergency situation." I smile as she presses a kiss to my neck, in gratitude.

"I'm still going to miss you."

Squeezing her shoulder blades in reassurance, "You'll feel better when you strap on your gun and badge, start kicking ass and taking names again."

"If you say so," she murmurs against my shirt and I know she's already falling asleep.

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><p>Nate is giggling in my arms as I sway waiting for his mother to emerge from our bedroom. She seems to be taking longer than normal but I think it has more to do with her giving herself a pep talk in the shower that I neglected to notice.<p>

"There she is!" I crow triumphantly when she comes out glock and badge strapped to her hip, and three inch heels. "Look Nate it's Mommy the super hero." He just giggles again as she comes up to us, "You good?" I ask her.

She bites her lip and nods, "Yeah I'm good. I'm going to miss you guys though," she tells the baby.

"I'll send a million pictures," I promise her shifting Nate so I can get a little bit closer to her.

"You better." She kisses me, stroking a hand down my jaw before leaning over and kissing Nate's forehead. "Be good for daddy." She taps his nose.

I can see the tears starting to rim her eyes so it's time to get her on the road with a smile, "Alright Mom go save the world. We'll hold down the secret lair until you get back."

It works, she laughs. "Alright, don't break anything."

"Do my best," I promise, "Love you."

"Love you too. Both of you," and then she lets herself out.

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><p><strong>Please complete the following sentence: "If I could be a super hero I would be..."<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	49. Running Away

**First day of School!  
><strong>

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><p><span>Running Away – Hoobastank<span>

There was a crash, followed by a series of thunks on the stairwell that had both of us turning our heads from the TV to see Nate dragging his t-ball bag behind him down the stairs. I glanced at Castle to see him looking as puzzled as I was. "Hey Nate whatcha doing?" he asked lifting my legs off his lap so that he could intercept the five year.

"Running away." Nate's face was all screwed up in his world famous pout as he kept tugging the bag down the stairs, the thunking telling me that he hadn't taken the t-ball gear out first.

I got a puzzled look from Castle, before he turned back to the five year old. "And why are you running away?" he asked patiently.

"Because you guys don't love me," he yells when he gets to the bottom of the stairs making his way to the front door, leaving me to dart across the loft to sit myself in front of the door.

Folding my legs under me I took in my little boy, "And what makes you think that?"

"Because you're making me go to school all the time this year!" He throws his hands up in the air; he is so Martha's grandson it's ridiculous at times.

Castle is trying hard not the laugh behind him, before he scoops him up, spinning him around before settling down next to me against the door with the little boy in his lap. "Buddy we're only making you go to school because we love you."

"Daddy and I just want to learn everything you can because you're smart and to make lots of friends," I tug on his pajama shirt.

He turns his head from his father's neck and looks at me, "I'm smart?"

"Really, really smart." I promise him brushing his Castle waves out of his eyes.

He looks up at this dad, "Can I have my friends over to play?"

Rick chuckles, "Yeah, you can have your friends over to play all the time."

Nate suddenly drooped against his father, his exhaustion, excitement, and the hour catching up with him. "Promise I'll have fun."

Standing up I lifted the forty-pound boy off his Dad, "Even more fun than pre-school, I promise. Now back to bed with you big boy. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Ok," He sighed against my chest, "Daddy, Captain."

"What about him?" his Dad asked getting up off the floor making a face as his back popped.

"Bag," Nate's eyelids fluttered closed as I carried him up the stairs back to his baseball themed room.

"Got it." He winked at me grabbing the bag and following us up the stairs.

Settling Nate back in his bed, clutching his teddy bear. "Mommy take me to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah Bud I'll take you to school tomorrow before I go to work." I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Daddy too," he asked not even lasting long enough to hear the answer so we both slip from the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh little Nathan Castle, warms my he warm yours?<br>**

**Alright heads up for my lovely readers. I am going to my cousin's graduation this weekend which means I will be away from my computer until later Sunday and I probably won't get on any site that might spoil me until Monday morning and that might just be to post here. Any what I'm saying is that if you don't hear from me before Tuesday enjoy _Always_ I'm sure it will be fantastic! Have a good weekend! and remember deep breathe are essential to surviving Finales and fanfic the remedy for hiatus'.  
><strong>

**See you on the flip side.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	50. Get On Your Boots

**Okay I tried to get this down to 500 words (not hard, but I made an effort) and then I decided it screw it, it's season finale day and I can be flailing fan girl if I want. On that note IT'S SEASON FINALE DAY! ALWAYS AIRS IN 12 HOURS FOR ME! LASKDJFLASDJFLKKASDFJDFLKADFJ! YUP I'M INCOHERENT ABOUT THIS BUSINESS. ANY THIS IS POTENTIAL FOR TONIGHT. JUST TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD.**

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><p><span>Get On Your Boots – U2<span>

"Dad?" The name echoes through the loft, and she freezes on top of him, slowly lifting her head from the spot she'd been studying with her tongue.

"Is that Alexis?" she manages to hiss.

The answer supplies itself, "Dad where are you?" Kate flies off me.

She's pushing her hair out of her line of vision as she hunts for her clothes. "Shit," She keeps muttering under her breath finding her pants and managing to pull them on.

"Dad are you home?"

I manage to kick myself into action, "I'll be out in a second." I call to my daughter hoping out of bed snagging sweat pants and a t-shirt throwing them on as Kate moans softly into her hands standing next to the bed in just her jeans. "What?" I whisper.

"My bra and shirt." She looks panic stricken, and she never looks that way.

"What about them?"

"They're in the living room," She hisses, probably in disbelief that I didn't put it together faster.

"Oh."

"Oh. That's what you have to say? Your daughter is out there with them. This is a nightmare." She moans again, I can't help but laugh, scooping my button down up of the ground and crossing to her. "Castle." She swats at me.

"Just put this on. You're not going anywhere." I kiss her softly, swiping a thumb over her cheekbone, "Alexis will be fine, she'll probably be relieved it's you."

"Relieved?" Her eyebrow quirks up, as she finally accepts the shirt from me.

"Let's just say there were a few timing miss-calculations in the past and a shirt and bra were not the only things she found before I did." I shake my head, as she looks like she's trying to hold in a laugh. "A story for another time. Come out when you're decent, we'll do something about dinner."

She smiles back biting her lip with a nod as she set to work on the shirt buttons, and I went out to greet my daughter. Alexis was sitting on the couch, eying the missing articles of clothing that had thankfully managed to simply land on the floor. "Dad are you hiding a girl in your room again?" She's torn between amusement and disgust.

"Not hiding anything she'll be out in a minute she had to procure other clothes since clearly some are missing." I crossed the room to the kitchen, "What do you want for dinner?" I asked opening the fridge.

"Dad." She huffs exasperated, "Who exactly is in your room that I should expect any minute wearing your shirt?" Her hands are on her hips and her head is tilted to the side, she must have learned it from Beckett, it's an interrogation pose.

I open my mouth to answer but the woman in question has come out of the room in her pants and my shirt and my mouth has gone dry. "That would be me," She answers lightly.

Alexis' mouth is open, "Detective Beckett?" she manages to squeak, her eyes volleying back and forth between us, before she manages to pull herself together. "Actually, I'm going to see if Grams wants to meet me out. I'll see you guys later." She scoops up her purse and heads for the door before I can say anything. Then she stops, "Dinner? The three of us another night though?" She manages to ask.

Kate smiles, "I'd love that."

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><p><strong>Thoughts! I'm managed to avoid the sneak peaks with my weekend travels so don't spoil me please! See you tomorrow I'll be here to help with hiatus blues.<strong>

**! Return to your regular scheduled freak outs.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	51. Sleep

**Good morning and welcome to the hiatus. But it's all ok because that was amazing. I've watched that end clip (not the terrifying part the happy one, you know which one) about 8 million times and I think I react more strongly every time it's just, oh god I just, I'm at a loss. Kudos to our wonderful writers, directors, cast, actors and everyone else for providing us with one of the most brilliant seasons of one of the most brilliant shows on television.  
><strong>

**Now that they seem to be in the business of making dreams come true the following is a request. (It's over 500 words but I think we could use it.)  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Sleep – My Chemical Romance<span>

"Dude, have you seen Castle or Beckett?" Esposito asked dropping, the file he was holding on his desk peering around the bullpen, hoping that they'd miraculously appear somewhere.

"No, I think they went to get coffee." I glanced at my watch, "But that must have been two hours ago. Weird." Now I'm peering around the room looking hoping that they mysteriously materialize from somewhere because the last time the disappeared there was a tiger involved. "They have been running on fumes maybe Castle convinced her to go home and get some sleep?" I asked hopefully, pulling out my phone to see if I'd missed a call from her.

"Call Beckett, I've got Castle." Espo makes a face pulling out his phone.

We both wait, impatiently for the phones to connect only problem is we hear the answering ring from the Beckett's desk. Sure enough, her white phone is sitting next to her key board and his is on the edge next to his chair. "Castle never goes anywhere without his phone."

"Brilliant insight. You should be a detective."

"Har, har. I'm just saying they have to be around here somewhere." We're both looking around the room hoping they're sitting at the conference room table or something. But no sign.

"They're probably in a closet somewhere." Esposito laughed, sitting back down.

Beckett hasn't exactly allowed any form of PDA at work, in fact we've only seen them kiss a couple of times. I've only caught them holding hands once, it's a testament to their relationship that they seem to only be able communicate relationship stuff in subtext and smiles. Not that that didn't get them into plenty of messes before they figure it out, but they seem to be getting along alright now. "You're probably right," I shrug standing, "I'm going to go get some coffee you want anything?'

"A donut if there's any left." He answers, without even looking up.

I make it to the break room door and realize that I've located our missing partners. "Espo" I hiss across the bullpen.

"What bro? If there's no donuts then I'm fine."

"No," I shake my head, "Come here."

Shoving off his desk he comes over to me, "Man I actually have… Oh this is too good." He whipped out his phone and started taking pictures. Castle with his head tipped back against the couch, mouth open, eyes close with his arm slung over our fearless leader. She was cuddled into his side, face smashed against his button down, one hand grasping at the material.

"We should wake them?" I'm skeptical if this is a good idea, mostly because they're so short of sleep, but the chances they're caught by Gates grow with every passing minute.

Snapping a final picture, Espo shrugs. "Better to be caught by us than the Captain," turning into the room, "rise n'shine Boss, Castle," he yells, startling them both.

"Javi, why are you yelling?" Beckett asks blearily from Castle's chest even as he shakes his head trying to clear the cobwebs.

"To send you guys home for some actual sleep." He answers.

"We've got it from here, we'll see you in the morning."

Castle just blinks and nods sleepily; Beckett is a little more graceful. "Thanks… I'll just get my stuff." She gets up and leaves the room.

"You have pictures?" Castle asks.

Espo rolls his eyes, "Duh."

"Cute or blackmail?"

"Blackmail only works on her, why you want a copy?" Espo is glaring at Castle, whose standing now.

"If there's a good one," he claps us both on the shoulder, "now if you'll excuse me I'm taking my girlfriend home."

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know how you're doing. I'm currently (in my mind) huddled in a corner rocking back and forth watching the clip over and over again (in reality I'm trying to keep myself composed at work and not spill crazy fan girl on my new co-workers. That will have to wait until September.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	52. Endless Night

**I've stopped rocking back and forth in a corner although I was babbling incoherently about the scene last night. So much so that my friend called me on it. I think I'm broken. **

**Into the future we go...**

* * *

><p><span>Endless Night – Staged Lion King<span>

She's on fire. That's the only explanation for it. Every nerve is a live wire, all thrumming with the energy stemming from the place his hand is rest on her thigh. She's burning up. She can't focus on anything. Just his hand, on her thigh.

He's running a theory past the team and she can't understand anything he's saying. It's just his hand and the melody of his voice washing over her. Too close. He's too close she might just melt into a puddle of need right here on the precinct floor. She's not sure she's not already a puddle.

He stops talking and one of the boys is questioning it, but she can't bring herself to care because now his fingers are shifting along the inside of her thigh. Shooting lighting through her nerves, her gut tightening. He has to be trying to kill her, that's the only explanation, she's going to combust.

She's never felt this way. She's been desperate for him before, but never before this badly. Never with all her clothes on in the middle of the precinct talking to other people. Is it time to go yet? It has to be time to go.

Not even when she was pregnant with Nate was it this bad, she certainly had her moments but they all paled in comparison to right not. They have to leave. They have to go. They're trying and if she needs him this badly they might as well try. Maybe they're done trying? He moves his thumb. Shit. It doesn't matter they have to go home, it has to be time to go home.

Her watch, look at her watch, it's a mental battle to just focus on the hands of the watch. 6:04. The stars are in their favor. She blows out a strung out sigh and all the boys look at her. Ryan and Espo are looking at her like she might be running a fever. She probably is. They have to get out of here. Then Castle is smiling and she melts, popsicle in July melts.

"Kate?" It must be the third time he's said it because now he's looking concerned too. She has to get that look off his face, this is definitely not a problem. Well it is, but they can fix it. All they need to do is go home.

"It's a theory," she's trying to sound normal but her voice is dripping with lust, "Let's call it a night."

"You okay Boss?" Espo asks.

"Fine," I hiss, we have to go everything less can wait.

Ryan looks between us, "I'm out of here." He grabs his jacket and heads for the stairs, Espo nods and follows.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Castle's looking at her as if she's grown a third eye.

Giving in she leans in, "We have to go home now." He freezes and his eyes go dark as she gets her coat. Now he's not moving, "Coming Castle?"

* * *

><p><strong>Reaction? I'm not sure it's smile inducing but it's definitely something so give me a word to describe it.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	53. Poker Face

**Now it's three days later and it still hit me right in the feels, I'm just adjusting so slowly to this. (Might have to do with the fact that all my OTP's are cannon and that really doesn't compute for me). Anyway are you guys out there? Not too overloaded with finale stuff. I'm trying so hard to stay away from it because it's so over done, but I might need to later to help me cope. I'll let you know.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Poker Face – Lady Gaga<span>

He's losing. Badly. In fact, he doesn't thing he's ever lost so badly. Not even when he was learning, but her eyes are sparkling and she's having so much fun that it really doesn't mater to him.

She's beating everyone there though and some of them are taking it better than others. One was merely amused by the whole scenario, the other is baffled, and yet no one is losing as badly as he is.

It's mostly his own fault, he likes doing things big. So at the beginning he was going big no matter what because he likes seeing their smiles when they win, all of them. And he likes winning himself.

But that had not been absolutely necessary now that they've brought her into the game. In fact everyone except her is blaming him at this point. But it's not really his fault that she seems to have inherited his ability for the grandiose and her mother's ability to call a bluff.

Speaking of her mother, she's glaring at him over the already discarded hand, a mix between amusement and anger. His oldest gave up long ago and left with his grand daughter and son-in-law, and Nate might just throw something if his fourteen year old sister wins a years allowance in one hand.

He takes one last look at the cards in front of him and the river. Doing his up most to maintain a tell free pose and pattern of speaking as he decides to go all in. Mom already declared this to be the last round of the night, so he has nothing left to lose.

Tori studies him carefully, she's looking for a clue and he staring right back at her with a confident smile. It's his absolutely worst hand of the night, but everyone else already folded on her so his going to play the last hand out. Who knows her luck does seem to come from calling bluff and holding her own rather than good hands.

"All in." She shoves the pile of chips towards the middle of the table, her smile matching his own. Nate's watching with a little bit of awe for his baby sister and Kate is trying not to laugh.

He lays his hand down, a pair of three's. At least he has something. And then his daughter laughs, sounding just like her mother, laying down her hand. A straight flush, it the best hand she's had all night. She grins scooping all of the chips towards her. She just won the $100 he'd had left. Technically it had all been his money to start with but the deal is the kids can take the money or trade out chores when they play as a family.

"Alright so what are you going to do with your winnings miss Tori?" Her mom asks grin eyes light up with joy at her obvious delight.

"Oh I'm getting the cash. Saving it for my motorcycle." She's counting the chips she's won around $500 by the end of the night.

Nate's the first to protest, "She not even old enough to drive yet and she's saving for a motor cycle! You guys won't even let me drive."

"No motorcycle." He declares, no way is his baby girl getting on a motor cycle.

Tori's face falls and the fourteen year old in her comes out, "But Dad! Mom has one."

Leaning over Kate breathes in his ear, "Yeah dad I have one."

* * *

><p><strong>That last line expect that to pop up some time in the future because who can resist the motorcycle question.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	54. White Flag

**Happy Friday! So this little piece is a little bit meta which is a result of the prompt being Dido's "White Flag" which my best friend calls the shipper anthem because of the line, "I will go down with this ship," sound familiar anyone? Anyway this are sort of cannon, or adapt to cannon so now that Always is out there, well it's out there. But I have to say when I look at them in chronological order I didn't do to bad at guessing.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>White Flag – Dido<span>

"I don't understand why doesn't she just kiss him?" she groans from my shoulder, as the couple on screen has yet another will they or won't they moment and you could swear that they are just about to kiss and then life, or rather the script, interferes.

"Because things are never that simple on TV," I smirk, playing with her hair.

"Okay, well why doesn't he just kiss her?"

"They want you keep watching so they string it out." I explain, even though I know she knows this.

"You didn't do that," she's looking up at me. "Nikki and Jameson slept together by the middle of the first book."

"Well that was not originally a series if you remember and it was a coping mechanism."

"Coping mechanism?" She's quirked an eyebrow adorably.

I smile, "Yeah, coping."

Then it dawns on her, "Oh coping…" Laughter is in her eyes as she turns back to the maddening on screen couple, "He should still just kiss her."

"You are such a shipper." I laugh, poking her gently

"So?" she doesn't sound even remotely offended.

"It's incongruous with kick ass Kate Beckett."

"Yeah well I'm complicated." She shrugs.

"Oh that's why it took you four years?" I tease.

She smacks me, "It only took me two to figure it out."

"What?"

"Yeah that summer you asked me to the Hamptons I was going to say yes, and then Gina showed up."

"You're kidding?" I pause the DVD this conversation definitely required my full attention.

She sits up, "No."

"You mean that the last two years were a result of that?"

"Maybe not just a result of that but it was a contributing factor."

"I'm an idiot," I groan.

Her finger lands on my lips as she crawls into my lap, "Nonsense, this is exactly perfect then I would still have been a mess over my mom's case and my priorities wouldn't line up. Now I know that you come first because you are what matters."

I kiss her, "See, TV characters aren't the only ones that are complicated."

Sliding down next to me again leaving her leg draped over my lap, settling her head back on my shoulder she asks, "You think we ever had our own shippers?"

"Aside from the precinct and my family?" She nods, "Oh probably just everyone we met."

* * *

><p><strong>And millions of people that watch every week partly for the case, partly for the Esposito and Ryan bromance, but mostly hoping to see Caskett get it on. Which they will in season five which if you didn't hear was made official last night and ABC tweeted #CaskettSeason5 I fell off my chair over something we knew was inevitable but know it's starting to really sink in.<strong>

**Was it funny? Did you like it? Have you started to adjust to Caskett being cannon? or is that something that is going to have to wait until you get more wonderfulness in season 5.  
><strong>

**I would like answers to all of the above if you're inclined.  
><strong>

**Have a good night.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	55. You Want To Make a Memory

(You Want To) Make A Memory – Nickleback

She was leaning against the door frame of Nate's room, just staring into the dark space, barely illuminated by the night light. Coming up behind her I wrapped my arms around her waist looking into the room. Nate was sacked out in his big kid bed that we'd moved in today.

She sighed, leaning back against me laying her hands over mine. "He's getting so big," she finally breathed quietly into his dark room.

I smile, pressing a kiss into the crook of her neck, "Yeah, he is." It's a side of her most people don't get to see, but this wonderful soft mothering side of her is probably my favorite part.

We linger for a few more moments before she's turning in my arms, before slipping around me so that can use my hand to pull me towards the stairs. I follow willingly; I always have, knowing that whatever is on her mind right now she'll tell me in a minute.

We make it to the study before she's turning around, and wrapping her body around mine. Stretching up on her bare feet to capture my lips, pulling my bottom lip between her teeth and then soothing it with her tongue, when I wrapped an wrapped an arm around her waist and the other tunneled into her hair.

"I want another one," she breaths against my lips as her fingers come up to undo the buttons on my shirt.

Pulling away just a little bit, I try to maneuver her towards our bedroom without tripping over anything. "You want another what?" I ask lifting her shirt up over her head dropping, it on the floor as the back of her legs collide with the mattress.

"Another baby," she huffs as I attach my lips to her bare collarbone, and her fingers thread into my hair.

That stops me dead in my tracks though, and now I really do pull back using my hands on her hips to keep us a respectable length apart. "Kate…" She's smiling at me, and her hands are still in my hair, her fingers drawing delicious patterns on my scalp, "…are you sure?"

Defying the hold of my hands, she slips in closer, her arms wrapping around my neck. "Yeah, Rick. Yeah, I want another baby," she murmurs rubbing her nose against mine.

"I love you." It feels like the appropriate response in this moment, and earns me a soft chuckle followed by an even softer kiss.

"I take it that you're amiable to the idea." She's positively humming.

"Definitely amiable to the idea." I grin at her pushing her back onto the bed, "In fact I think we should get started right now."

She laughs, "You were the one that stopped."

Pressing kisses to her bare abdomen, "Let's make a baby Kate."

I'm certain she's glowing as she smiles, "Let's make a baby."


	56. It's Been Awhile

**Happy Mother's day to all you fabulous mom's out there, speaking as a kid I don't know what I would have done with out my own mom and all the wonderful women that treated me like their own over the years. Also to the graduates of 2012 (Mostly college at the moment) Congratulations on your achievement and welcome to the real world!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>It's Been Awhile – Staind<span>

I drop my bag by the front door, her apartment is dark, as it should be at this hour of the night. I shrug out of my jacket and toe off my shoes so that I can cross her apartment without waking her up.

It took a while but I can finally make my way through the place without tripping over the coffee table or running into the couch. So I manage to make it to the bedroom without swearing spontaneously and waking her up as I made it to the bedroom.

Apparently, I wasn't quite enough, because she turned on the light as I came through the door. "Hey," she smiled sleepily at me, looking wonderfully tousled and sleepily against her pillows, "your home."

"Yeah," I nodded shrugging out of my button down and kicking off my pants, "I figured I might as well come here rather than go home." I crawled over her to the other side of the bed, getting under the covers as she rolled over to face me. "Hi," I whispered, cradling her face to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hi," she breaths against me, "you're always welcome here."

"Good to know." I smile into her hair as she rolls back over turning out her light before tucking her body into the cove of mine.

Picking up my arm up, she draped it over her stomach lacing out fingers together, "I missed you." She admits on a sleepy sigh, drifting away.

"I missed you too." I kiss the back of her neck.

"I love you."

I tighten my arm around her waist, "I love you too."

"Hmm…" her humming in my arms has to be one of the best sensations on the entire planet because he knows that she's so happy that she's vibrating with it, and he's the reason for it. "You we're gone for too long."

"I was?"

She nods, her hair tickling my skin as it shifts, "Yes, two month is too long."

"You saw me in Boston, and DC."

"They're not New York." Comes back to me slowly, she's sliding into sleep.

"No they're not New York." I agree, "Go to sleep." I whisper to her.

"Welcome home," she's humming again even as her breathing evens out and she out again, pulling me under with her.

* * *

><p><strong>So I don't know if you guys have noticed this trend in fanfiction, but we as a group seem to have decided that Beckett is a hummer. If you have a reasoning behind it or can point out why we think this I'd love to know. But mostly I just appreciate it and adore the image so I use it.<strong>

**Following that did this make you hum happily? (They changed the button again. But I bet it still does the same thing.)  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	57. Secret

**Hmm... I smell some season five potential here...  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Secret – Maroon 5<span>

She's pressed against my side, our skin sticky with the sweat of the first round of the morning, fingers tracing meaningless patterns on my chest. "Can we keep this between us for a while?" she asks softly.

I try not to over react, "You mean keep it a secret?"

"No," she immediately answers, "I just… I don't need the whole precinct in this when we go back."

"So we're going back?" It's been a roller coaster few days but she's never really said anything more than_ I resigned_. We didn't talk about it and I didn't push her on it. But I know that there was a phone call from the precinct at one point, but I didn't press her on the details.

She seems like she's made a decision, or at least thought it out, "I think so…" She nods against my chest.

"And when we do you want to keep this quiet?" I ask relaxing she's trying to figure out how to make both work.

"Just for a little while…" she confirms, softly, "maybe until they figure it out?"

I chuckle softly, "Kate they already think we're sleeping together and hiding it."

She presses a kiss to my chest, "Well then nothing has to change?"

"Yeah except now I'm positive I know what you look like naked, and where your tattoo is and the noise you make when I kiss right here…" I run my lips over the super sensitive spot under her ear.

"Castle…" she groans.

"Just proving a point."

"We need ground rules."

"And what sort of rules do you propose," I prompt.

"You can't look at me like you know what I look like naked."

"Not sure that's possible…"

"No love eyeballs."

"Nope," I shake my head, "not possible I'm not the only one responsible for those."

She snuggles into me, "Ok so we both have to work at this."

"As long as it's a two way street. What else?"

"No hand holding, hugging, or kissing."

"These are horrible," I'm pouting ridiculously but this is no fair I just earned the right to do these things and she's taking them away.

"No telling me you love me either," she plows on.

"Kate…" I whine.

"Just at work." She's trying to reassure me, with a gentle pat and a kiss to my cheek.

"You know I'm breaking all those rules in the car," I tell her already picturing wrapping my hand around hers in the squad car.

"Castle…" It's a warning but I can tell it's just not that forceful because she wants those things too.

I squeeze her reassuringly, "I love you too."

* * *

><p><strong>I think it would be hilarious if they try and hide it from the precinct, mostly because I think that they're incapable of such things... thoughts?<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	58. I'm On Fire

**Honestly I'm not sure I've ever listened to this song or where it even came from but it worked for this.**

* * *

><p><span>I'm on Fire – Dwight Twilley<span>

Castle is gone at meetings with his publisher when I wake up. I have a vague recollection of a good-bye kiss. But now its 8:30 on my day off and I have big plans for Nate and I. We're going to the Zoo.

If I'm going to get myself and Nate ready to leave at a reasonable time I have to get going. Nate inherited his father's ability to sleep; waking either of them is like trying to raise the dead. Starting the shower, I let the steam build as I brush my teeth and the room fills with the scent of Castle's body wash. And just like that I'm on fire, again, burning up, desperate for him except he's not here this time. Shaking my head, I try to focus on the shower, mentally ticking off the tasks trying to figure out what the hell is going on. This is the third day where I've been a puddle of need.

OH. Oh. Seriously? It's only been a month. My hands land on my stomach. Oh.

We have some test somewhere. Under the sink, I'm scrambling out of the shower riffling under the sink. There they are, seriously? Could it really be that easy? Then again, when Nate happened we definitely weren't actively trying.

I'm getting dressed while I wait for the test when I hear the babbling nonsense of my two year old from the top of the stairs, behind the baby gate. Ok get Nate then get an answer. "Mama!" He's joyous clapping his hands as I scooped him up and perched him on my hip.

"Morning Bud." He gurgles and continues to chatter as I carry him back down to our bedroom setting him down to let him bounce on the bed as I go back into the bathroom. Pausing just a moment so that I can ready myself for whatever the read out says.

I look down at the read out, my breath hitching as I check the read out against the box making sure that I have the right answer. Nate's little body collided with my leg arms wrapping around it as he looked up at me, "Mama you ok?" Along with his father's ability to sleep he also has the same ability to sense the shift in my moods without saying anything.

I smile down at him, I ruffle his hair, keeping my tears to myself. "Yeah buddy mommy's good. Mommy's really good." I scoop him up again cuddling him close, "How are you?"

"Going to the Zoo!" he exclaims.

"Yes we are. What's at the zoo?" I ask him carrying him out into the kitchen.

"Lions, tigers and bears!" he chirps happily.

* * *

><p><strong>Awe baby Nate. He makes me warm and fuzzy, does he do the same for you?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	59. Can't You Hear Me Knocking

Can't You Hear Me Knocking – Rolling Stones

Her alarm is going off, the one she sets obnoxiously early so that she can go for a run before going into the precinct on a normal day. Of course usually she's like lightening turning it off before it even has the chance to wake him like she's been just waiting for it, but not this morning. He opens his eyes to see why she hasn't silenced the blasted thing, and the answer is right there, she's not in bed with him, the sheets are cool so she's been gone for a while. "Kate?" he asks sleepily and receives no response.

Groaning he sits up just a little more, forcing his brain into action, trying to locate his wife, the bathroom door is shut and light is escaping from underneath. Up, he forces himself, out of bed. Clumsily he stumbles over to the bathroom door knocking softly not wanting to disturbed the pre-dawn silence even if they're both already awake. "Kate?" He questions again.

Neither her name nor the knock receives any response so he tests the door handle, it's not locked so she just wanted to block the light from him, she's not hiding anything. Slowly he opens the door to find her slumped against the bath tub, next to the toilet, head resting on her arms, breathing softly. "Oh Kate," he sighs softly; she probably had a bout of morning sickness earlier and fell asleep trying to wait it out.

Crossing the room to her, he sinks down on the floor next to her and rubs a hand up and down her back. "Kate, babe?"

"Uhmp," she practically moans.

"Come here," he tucks one arm between her and the tub and tug her back against him.

She takes a deep breath, as she tucks her head in against his neck. "Oh my alarm…" clumsily she pats his leg "I forgot to turn it off. Sorry." She's still mumbling sleepily without opening her eyes.

"It's fine." He assures her closing his own eyes, "What are you doing in here?"

She snuggles in a little closer, "Every time I tried to lay back down it got worse. So I gave up and stayed."

"Ick."

She snorts a laugh, "Ick, is right. This is your fault."

"I do believe that there are two parties involved in getting pregnant," he argues.

"Yeah, but I'm the one throwing up."

"And I'm the one panicking over your disappearance from bed, the things that does to my heart rate," he whines.

"Oh you're right, you have it worse." She's waking up now if she can tease him, "We should get up."

"I'm comfortable."

"Liar"

"Okay, I'm sleepy."

"At least you can have coffee." She tells him untangling herself to stand up offering him a hand, "Up you go, least you can do is make me some food."

"But you're just going to throw it up." he pouts, its way too early for this.

She gives him a soft kiss, "And yet I should still eat."


	60. If

**So I don't know if you've seen it but there's a cartoon on Tumblr where Beckett is tying Castle's tie and it's rather darling. So that inspired this and the song title gave me the dialogue and presto we have a fiction.**

* * *

><p><span>If – Red Hot Chili Peppers<span>

We're getting ready for the launch party; she's in bathroom finishing her makeup as I tie my tie, when she starts, "If we do this…"

"What do you mean if?" I don't let her get another further.

"Hush…" she scolds coming out of the bathroom towards me, "if we do this you're sure that it'll end up being quieter?"

"Yeah. They'll get photos they like, glitzy, fancy, and couply with the ring and they won't be trying to get pictures of us at crime scenes." I abandon the tie to turn around and take her in, "Speaking a glitzy…"

"You like?" she smiles spinning allowing the skirt to flare out just a little as the beautiful blue sparkles against her skin.

Giving her a low whistle, "I like." I step closer bringing my hands to rest on her hips.

"Still wouldn't it be easier to take a picture and send a press release?" she's taking charge of my tie, carefully adjusting the length before beginning the fancier knot her dad taught her.

I shake my head trying not to upset her process. "No, they want their own pictures and we're going any way so we might as well make a splash."

Sliding the tie tight, she gives me a calculating look, "I knew that was a press angle in there somewhere."

Picking up the hand that the ring now graces I press a gentle kiss to it, "We don't have to make the announcement this way, you can stay home, and they can decide for themselves what the dedication means."

She smacks my chest lightly, "Shut up. I'm already in the dress were going." She's smiling so it's not so bad.

Leaning in I capture her happy lips in a gentle kiss, "The dress being on can definitely be changed." I begin a series of less chaste kisses before working my way down the exposed column of her neck.

"Later," She says half heartedly, even as the phone rings bolstering her argument, "That's the car…" she backs away giving me a gentle kiss, "You're incorrigible."

"You like it." I waggle my eyebrows at her stepping into the space she just created.

"Castle." It's a warning as her flat palm collides with my chest to keep me in place.

I hold my hands up in surrender, "Ok. Ok we're going."

"Like I had an option," She quips scooping her clutch up off the bed, "Some one has to keep you in check." She tosses a grin over her shoulder striding from the room.

"Wow, so little trust," I try to sound wounded.

Her laughter floats back to me, "I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>Nope still having a wicked hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Caskett is cannon and at the same time thrumming with excitement over what comes next. I expect to laugh a lot.<strong>

**Babyrose.  
><strong>


	61. Through the Dark

**Warning: Extreme fluff ahead.**

* * *

><p><span>Through The Dark – KT Tunstall<span>

"Castle…" Its soft from her side of the bed, "Castle?... Rick? Are you awake?" her hand runs down my back.

"I am now," I flip my head on the pillow to look at her wrapped around the fancy pregnancy pillow. She's smiling at me one hand on the small bulge now that she's managed to coax me back into the land of the living. "What is it?" I ask her happy face rolling onto my side and propping my head up to look at her.

"She's moving."

It's two in the morning and I'm not particularly quick on my feet at the moment. "Who's moving?" I blink sleepily at her.

She shakes her head laughs at me as she picks up my free hand and settles it on her stomach where hers just was, "The baby."

On cue there's a kick right where she's placed my hand. It's… its just magical... she's really in there. "Oh Kate!" I lean forward capturing her lips in a kiss as the baby continues to kick against my hand. She knows how much this means to me. Meredith neglect to mention it to me with Alexis and Nate was fairly quiet and the first time he'd done anything I'd been on one of a dozen trips I'd been trying to get out of the way, "You're sure it's a girl?" I press my forehead to hers.

Her eyes are sparkling with tears of joy as she nods, "Yes, yes there's definitely a little girl in there."

I scoot down the bed, "Hey baby girl," I coo softly to the bump as Kate slides her fingers into my hair. With Nate she had been driven crazy when I tried to talk to the baby but, now she was content to let me have the moment. "This is your daddy. I love you so much. I can't wait to meet you."

Drawing patterns on my scalp with her finger nails. "She likes the sound of your voice," she tells me.

"Just like her mother?" I press a kiss to her stomach.

"Hmmm..." she hums softly in agreement, "just like her mother."

Kate's fingers slow as I continue to talk to the baby and she must be drifting back to sleep but there is a smile on her face as I begin her favorite fairy tale for baby Castle. Even as her mother drifts off to sleep that baby continues to move just enough for me to feel her.

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><p><strong>I'm a puddle of emotions after writing that so I hope that you liked it.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	62. Keep on Trying

**Alright you have to tell me what you think because I'm not positive how this worked out.**

* * *

><p><span>Keep On Trying – Poco<span>

"You can do it Tori!" I yell as I cycle past her and dad.

She shoots me a death glare, "Shut up Nate!"

"Well stop being a baby and just do it." I look at dad who is patiently gripping the seat of her sparkly purple bike.

"Nate!" Mom calls in warning from where she's standing with the dog and her phone poised to record Tori. If Tori ever gets on with it. "You can do it Tori, Daddy's just going to hold on until you get going."

"What if I fall?" she asks. Man my little sister is such a scaredy cat sometimes.

"Then you pick yourself up and we'll try again," Dad's being nice even as he holds onto her bike super tight.

"Tori if I can do it then you can." Seriously if she can do it the we can ride around the park together and leave mom and dad here.

Tori looks at me and nods, "Ok dad, let's go."

He smiles, "Ready when you are." Mom starts video taping with her phone, tightening her hold on Rook who wants to go with Tori too.

Tori pops herself up onto the seat and starts to peddle towards me. "Dad, let go!" she calls not noticing that he hadn't followed her when she started.

"I already did." He calls back and she looks over her shoulder wobbling just a bit.

"Eyes in front sweet pea!" mom calls even as dad hugs her from behind.

"Told you!" I say when she gets to me, stopping with her feet.

"Told me what?" she's looking at me like she thinks I'm stupid.

"That you could do it."

"IF you can then I can." She sticks her tongue out at me.

"Then why were you being a baby?"

"I wasn't being a baby!" She stomps her foot.

"What ever," I roll my eyes like mom does, "Catch me if you can?" I push off the ground heading towards the path that runs around the park.

"Hey!" she yells after me. But I don't stop, slow a little as I hear her get on the bike but it's not long before she's off and catching up. Now this really isn't fair she can't be faster than me, already.

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><p><strong>Really I would love to hear your thoughts.<strong>

**Babyroses  
><strong>


	63. Breakout

**I'm mildly ashamed to have this in my music library and then I remember there are way more embarrassing options hanging out on my itunes.**

* * *

><p><span>Breakout – Miley Cyrus<span>

"You done?" he asks from the corner of my desk where he appeared rather suddenly ten minutes ago.

Looking at my desk I realized that I was in fact done, "Yes, I am," I smile at him, relaxing into my chair, "What did you have in mind?"

"We're out of here!" he gives by way of an answer. He's positively gleeful scooping up my coat so he could help me put it on, "Have a good week boys!" he nods to them as we pass on our way to the elevator.

"Have fun!"

"Get some sun!" They chorus simultaneously.

I however, am turning back to my husband, who looks like he is walking on clouds he's so happy. "A week? Get some sun? Castle what the hell is going on?"

He smiles as the elevator dings, "You'll see!" He grabs my hand and pulls me into the elevator car, "Come on we're going to miss our flight."

Oh good lord, what has he planned now? "Miss our flight to an unknown destination for a week for which I have not packed?" I'm looking at him like he's off his rocker, which I think he might be.

"Sounds about right," he nods and gives my hand a squeeze, "Now will you relax and enjoy. I packed for you."

The elevator opened onto the lobby and he dragged me out. "Did you pack me anything that I can wear out in public?"

"Alexis did." He nods ushering me out of the building towards the car that's waiting by the curb, driving standing patiently by the back door. At least there was some sanity involved in what ever he had planned.

"Evening Mrs. Castle," he tipped his hat, "Are you ready for your honeymoon?" He asks and that brings me up short. Castle collides with my back, before I have the chance to turn around.

Turning around slowly I look up at his happy blue eyes, "Honeymoon?" I ask softly, all my irritation at not knowing what was happening evaporating.

Castle for his part just smiles and wraps his arms around my waist, "Yeah, a surprise honeymoon."

"Rick," I lift a hand to his face, "I would have help plan one," I tell him softly.

"I know, but that wouldn't have been a surprise." He leans in capturing my lips in a quick kiss, "The wedding was three months ago and this trip is perfect so were going."

Running my fingers into his hair, I smile. "Still not going to tell me where?"

He shakes his head, "Nope, but if you don't get in the car we're never going to get there."

On cue Ernie cleared is throat and opened the passenger door, "To the airport?"

I nod stepping away from my adorable husband, "To the airport," I agree and climb into the car with Rick on my heels.

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><p><strong>Have a lovely Sunday!<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	64. Breakfast at Tiffanys

**I'm not going to lie guys I'm a head over heels with these fictions, I just love them so much and it's so much fun to create and fill in this happy universe. I only have 100 songs and I'm terrified of finishing it.  
><strong>

**Anyway on with many pieces that I've just loved.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Breakfast at Tiffanys – Deep Blue Something<span>

I'm not sure what on earth compelled me to walk inside. I'd been passing by on my way to the precinct and my feet had just carried me inside. So now I'm standing in the middle of this huge glittering store.

"Excuse me?" a small voice pulls me out of deciphering my own subconscious, to find a small brunette dressed in black with a name tag watching me.

I pull in a deep breath, "Yes?" I manage to direct my attention to her.

"Can I help you find something?"

"An engagement ring." My subconscious is fully in control, just spewing things from my mouth, geeze.

The saleswoman's face lights up, "Oh right this way." She waves for me to follow as she makes her way behind the nearest counter. "My names Lori. What type of metal were you thinking for the band?"

"Rick," I respond, "and platinum I suppose."

She nods, "Over here," moving down the counter, she's studying me though probably trying to figure out why I look familiar. "Sorry, this is silly but are you Richard Castle?" she finally asks.

I laugh, grateful for something normal on a day when my subconscious has taken control, "Yeah I am. I take it you're a fan."

Her head bops enthusiastically, "Yes. I love Nikki Heat, she's my favorite character to date."

I smile thinking of her real life counterpart, "Mine too."

She leans on the glass case looking star struck, "Don't take this the wrong way, but who is the ring for?"

"My girlfriend," I try and keep the skepticism out of my voice, but really who else does one buy and engagement ring.

She blushes, "Oh, I didn't realize you had a girl friend, I thought… well I always thought… based on the articles… and the dedications… and how you write about Nikki and Jameson… I just thought…"

I decide to put her out of her misery, "That I'd be marrying Detective Beckett?" I smiled at her amused because it was quiet endearing how flubbed she was over this

She giggles relieved, "Yes, but it's really none of my business."

I have to put this poor girl out of her misery, "Well it's only been a few months but yes the ring is for her." I scratch my neck, trying not to convey that this really wasn't planned, "You never know when the right moment will present itself."

I'm pretty sure Lori's reaction is what girls are like when they find out their best friend is getting married, "Oh that's just wonderful." She claps her hands and then is a flurry of movement pulling settings out. "Well here are some settings that you might be interested in, we'll pick a setting and then find the diamond," and with that we set to work.

An hour later the box weighed heavily in my pocket when I got to the precinct coffee in hand. It's way too soon, we haven't even told the boys yet, so I'm going to have to hide it, but when she smiles at me… It doesn't matter I know exactly how I ended up in Tiffanys this morning.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh man... tell me you're smiling... please say you're smiling.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	65. How Long

***Blushes* You guys are so sweet! Now I know that many of you are dying for some of these to be expanded on and so I just wanted to take a moment to remind you that they are suppose to be "fleeting" in theory 500 words or less (a rule I've broken a lot). But on that same note while not planned when I started this they are all in the same timeline/plot line/universe however you want to look at it. So I get a song and use it as a prompt and fill in another little piece of my Castle universe (which I'm perfectly content to live in until at least September). When I finish or get the original 100 chapters done (I may not be able to let it go) I'll post a master document with them in chronological order so you can see how it all played out/fit together in my head.  
><strong>

**On that note many of you were dying to see the proposal it's chapter 33, Castle holds onto that ring for a while.  
><strong>

**So come live with me in my happy Castle universe for another_ Fleeting Fiction_ (that broke the world limit rules).  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>How Long – Dream<span>

The scent of bacon and coffee pulled my from sleep. In the morning light I manage to find a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt and made my way out into the kitchen thinking that Alexis must have decided that breakfast was in order while Kate was out running and whatever else it is she does when her alarm goes off bright an early every morning.

However, standing in the kitchen pouring batter into the waffle maker, was not my daughter but rather Kate with her hair pulled into a sloppy ponytail, one of my button downs with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of leggings as she bopped around my kitchen humming to herself.

Catching my eye when she turned around she smiled that brilliant happy smile, "Good morning." She popped a strawberry in her mouth as I crossed to her.

"Good morning," I smile back wrapping my arms around her waist so that I could lean in and kiss her. She keeps smiling into the kiss, before opening her mouth and letting me explore her so thoroughly.

Boosting her up onto the counter my hands moving to the buttons of my shirt, opening it so that I could trail kisses down her chest. "Castle, the waffles and eggs are going to burn," she is happy, and laughing a little bit even as she tugs on my hair.

"Don't care," I stand up capturing her lips in another kiss, "Do you know how long I've been dreaming of finding you making breakfast in my kitchen and I actually get to kiss you."

She's smiling at me oh so softly, and oh so in love with me and don't think that there is anywhere else on the planet I would rather be than with her in my kitchen. She kisses me again before pushing me back so that she could pop off the counter and rescue the waffle and stir the eggs. "I'm going to guess since the first time you found me in your kitchen making you breakfast."

"You would be right." I wrap my arms around her waist from behind now pressing kisses to her exposed neck.

"Really, Richard you should let the woman finish making breakfast before you jump her." My mother's voice descends from on high as she appears on the stairs.

"Mother," I sort of squeak because I hadn't realized that she was home.

Kate laughs against me, and the feeling of her happiness, eases most of my discomfort. "Good morning Martha."

"Morning dear," my mother seats herself at the bar picking up a plate and helping herself to the food.

Just as the door opens and Alexis comes in with a grocery bag, "I got more orange juice and whip cream for dad." She calls coming in setting the extraneous supplies on the counter before pulling herself into a seat, "Morning dad."

All the naughty images that my mind had supplied me with when I found her completely washed out of my head and filled with many more mornings of my entire family having breakfast together, "I've dreamed about this too." I whisper in her ear as she turns around.

"Me too." She bites her lip smiling and pressing a kiss to my cheek picking up her own plate for breakfast.

* * *

><p><strong>Do you guys like hanging out in happy wonderful Castle Universe that I'm building? Also I demand family breakfast at the loft in season 5. That's all.<strong>

**Babyrose.  
><strong>


	66. Sometimes You Can't Make It

**Sorry this is so late today! But it's never to late for a smile!**

* * *

><p><span>Sometimes You Can't Make It – U2<span>

"Ninjas!" he says with such obvious glee, that I have to restrain myself to just rolling my eyes and not laughing at him.

"Castle!" I'm trying to scold him and failing miserably.

He shrugs still grinning, "What it's not like we have a better idea?" And I can't help myself I grin back.

"There's not even evidence that there might, might, have been a fight or a blade, or anything that suggests ninjas." I debunk the theory immediately.

But when has that ever stopped him, "Doesn't mean it wasn't ninjas!"

"Really Rick? We live in New York city there aren't ninjas." This is fun, this has always been fun, it's nice that things get to stay the same, even with all the changes.

"They could be here visiting, under cover since they are assassins, sent by the Japanese mob to kill our victim." He's got a story spinning in his head, I can see it behind his eyes.

Yet I can't help playing my roll in this silly game. "Our Irish, early twenties, friendless, bank teller, that's never left New York State." I'm smirking at him trying desperately to keep it together because he loves the ninja idea, it's been his running theory since the zombie theory was partially right. "How exactly did he get so mixed up with the Japanese mob that they sent ninja's after him?"

"He…" Castle fights for something, anything, before shaking his head defeated, "I got nothing." He's pouting, having collapsed against the side of my desk, looking mildly dejected like he always does when the crazy theory gets knocked out.

I give his shoulder a comforting pat, "Sometimes even you, Mr. Best Selling Author, can't make the story work."

"But Ninjas would be so cool." He pouts like a nine year old.

Running the hand on his shoulder, softly down his arm letting my fingers wrap around his bicep, "I know."

Of course, this is the moment Ryan and Esposito chose to make an appearance. Esposito looks pointedly at my hand as I pull it back. Ryan however is taking Dad's side and not questioning Mom, "Who knows Castle it has been the CIA and zombies at least once," hitting him with the folder, "one of these days ninjas are bound to happen."

"When pigs fly bro," Esposito laughs.

Castle's eyes light up, and I know that there's another theory, just as crazy as the last one waiting behind his sparkling blue eyes, "What about aliens?"

"Not aliens." I shoot him down glaring at Ryan.

"But Beckett, it hasn't been Aliens yet."

"There was that one case where you went on and on about aliens."

"But it wasn't aliens," he's pouting again.

"And it wasn't zombies."

"But it was the CIA." He's triumphant.

"And that ended well." I scowl, still amused, despite the fact that I can feel the boys eyes volleying back and forth between us.

Castle shrugs, "I'm sticking with Ninja's until we have something better."

Now I turn to Ryan, "Tell me you have something better."

* * *

><p><strong>Ninjas! are next on the list of crazy Castle theories that will partial come true I'm sure.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	67. Crybaby

**Hmmm... Ninjas not peoples thing? to stuck on zombies? What about thunderstorms? **

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><p><span>Crybaby – Janis Joplin<span>

Lighting cracked across the New York sky lighting up the bedroom even as the long roll of thunder rattled between the buildings startling me awake. Slowly my heart calms down enough to appreciate that the august heat might finally be over, and would wash away with the rain. The second thought brought a smile to my face, it was in a storm like this where all the pieces fell into place.

Speaking of pieces, where's Kate? Her side of the bed is empty the comforter thrown back and the sheets cool to the touch. Another crack of lighting pierces the black. The kids, I don't hear them on the monitor. She must have switched them off so as not to wake me.

Time to find them, I haul myself out of bed pulling the pajamas pants and t-shirt she's left for me at the foot of the bed, like she knew I'd come eventually. Shuffling out to the living room, I make my way to the stairs, aiming to get up to their rooms. But I don't get very far before I realize that they are all on the couch.

Nate is slumped against his mother's right side, face pressed into her chest his breathing even now that he's against her and her fingers are slipping soothingly through his hair just like she does to mine. Tori is avidly watching the storm from her mother's lap, clutching her stuffed rabbit, eyes wide.

Another flash tears through the apartment, and Kate tries not to startle when she sees me, "Castle!" she hisses.

"Sorry," I hiss back coming to sit next to her so that I could wrap my arms around them. "How are they?"

She tilts her head into my shoulder, nuzzling a little bit into my shirt, before she answers. "Nate probably would have slept through it if Tori hadn't woken him up. She wanted to watch, and didn't want to come get me. Nate has no such compulsion." She chuckles.

"She does love thunderstorms," I sigh, stroking the memorized girl's hair, "No tears?"

"Not over the storm," she shakes her head a little bit, "overlap space though."

I chuckle, "It seems that all the Castles have affection for thunder storms." I stroke her hair, watching, the three of them in various states of sleep.

"I suppose so." She hums back, smiling.

"Go to sleep Kate, I'm a good man in a storm."

"Yes you are," she mumbles back, drifting off to sleep.

"Daddy?" Tori's voice breaks the spell of the dramatic storm.

I look down at my little girl, "Yes, sweet pea?"

She scrambles into my lap, "It's pretty," she whispers against my neck, finally aware of the fact that there are people sleeping despite the fact that there's a storm.

"That it is sweet pea." I agree as she snuggles into me her eyes never leaving the window.

* * *

><p><strong>Smiling yet?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	68. Stumble

**You asked for more honeymoon...  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Stumble – Natasha Bedingfeild<span>

"You didn't have to get a villa," I whisper taking in the resort as he navigates us to the assigned villa, I can't help but roll my eyes. And then we come to a stop at this beautiful, gargantuan house and the sigh to match the eye roll escapes, but he's smiling proud of himself.

"It's beautiful Castle, unnecessary, but beautiful." It really is the island is lush and tropical the beach seems never to be more than a stones throw from anything.

"Nothing is unnecessary when it comes to you," he answers softly, opening his door. He's really never been pushy about his wealth, I guess our wealth now, uninhibited about spending it but never forceful about things. He likes having the money there and the freedom that it gives him to do what he wants so he's careful with it. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that its mine too now. "Come on lets go inside."

Climbing out we gather the suitcases, I'm still clueless as to the contents, the only thing I know is that he packed me his latest manuscript to read, we make our way up the path to the front door.

Just as we get to the door though he drops everything and scoops me off my feet, causing a very girly squeak to escape, "Castle what are you doing?" I squirm a bit trying to get down.

He just tightens his arms holding me in place. "I am carrying the new Mrs. Castle across the threshold." He says gallantly, somehow maneuvering to open the door.

Sighing happily I purse my lips and shake my head at him thoroughly amused. "Alright Mr. Castle, you've officially swept me off my feet. Now take me inside before you drop me."

"Never gonna drop you," He replies pushing open the door as I press a kiss to his jaw line. The he starts inside only to stumble dramatically, jostling me.

I can't help it as laughter rolls through me and he's looking a little embarrassed, but he didn't drop me. "You've still got me," I promise, tightening my arm around his neck in to emphasize my point.

He relaxes, smiles that dazzling Castle smile that I fell in love with, "See not going to drop you." He carries me further into the house.

"I love you," I whisper reverently as he sets me down on the cool wood floor of the living room.

"Hmmm…" he hums happily, slipping his arms around my waist, hands gliding under the hem of my shirts to the skin below. "I love you too," and then he captures my lips softly, reverently, lovingly.

Eventually I pull back. "We should get the bags," I say resting my forehead against his cheek for just a minute.

"And then?" He's humming with joy.

Pulling away I saunter over to the balcony doors that have been left wide open for our arrival over looking the calm Caribbean waters. "And then we'll see what you packed me," I through a wink over my shoulder.

He turns to fetch our stuff, calling back to me, "You don't need anything for what I have in mind."

* * *

><p><strong>It's a holiday weekend here so I have this brilliant plan of doing nothing but reading in the sunshine, and writing the rest of these so they're all ready to go and I can move onto a few other projects I have up my sleeve. That being sad I have some scenarios I want to see to fill in the holes and I know some of what you guys would like to see. But say you could pick two that I expanded on either a direct continuation or just more about that one scene in general which two would they be?<strong>

**Hope you're smiling! Happy Friday!  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	69. The Way You Loved Me

**Sorry no weekend updates, but I did spend a lot of time working on it this weekend. Anywhoooo this one isn't my favorite but it's what came to mind. I hope your having a lovely Monday.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>The Way I Loved You – Taylor Swift<span>

"There you are Richard!" I spot him finally. He's waiting at the bar just watching her, a look on his face I've never seen before.

"Evening Gina," he nods his head in acknowledgement of my presence but not actually looking at me. "It's a nice party. Thank you."

"Well Nikki Heat is a popular lady, might as well celebrate her properly." Lifting my hand, I order another glass of white wine. "Speaking of Detective Heat how is our dear Detective Beckett?" I can't even really be jealous at this point, she had him when she arrested him at the last Derek Storm party, and anything that happened since was doomed anyway.

"Oh she's doing well. Better since her shooting," he tells me, never taking his eyes off her as she laughs with two reports.

My wine arrived just in time for me to see the brilliant smile she shot him over the shoulder of the Ledger reporter. "Oh Richard!" I sigh and I finally have his undivided attention.

"_Oh Richard_ what?" he's looking at me carefully.

"You're finally sleeping with her." I smirk over the top of my wine glass before taking a sip, watching her sputter.

"We're… we're just friends… partners."

"Richard, you're not fooling anyone with that look on your face. You're in love with her." He's still just looking at me dumbstruck, "Relax she loves you back. At least judging by that smile."

He relaxes a little, "You can't say anything, we'll tell you when we're ready." He looks back out at her.

I huff, "Fine, fine. Whatever you say, but it'll make for great publicity. A writer and his muse."

"Always thinking ahead aren't we." He sneers, just a touch in my direction.

I just shrug, "It's my job. When you marry her make it stick, I don't want to deal with spinning a third divorce, plus can you really afford a third set of alimony checks?"

"Worried you won't get your fair share?" He's getting aggravated by me so it's probably time to move on.

"Not at all." He's really never been a problem, and probably didn't need to pay alimony but he's bent on taking care of every one. Not that either of us should worry, "Richard you've never looked at anyone like you look at her."

"That bad?" He softens, glancing over at me.

I laugh a little bit, "That bad. You're not hiding anything."

"Gina…" It's a warning.

I pat his shoulder, "Oh relax, I won't say anything. Now go do your job, go sign some books and get that girl a ring."

He grins mischievously, "Already did."

I roll my eyes, of course he has. "Go sign some books," I order giving him a shove.

"Bossy, bossy." He grumbles, even as he makes his way into the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>ABC is airing a rerun of Castle tonight, unfortunately it's Heartbreak Hotel who's only redeeming factor is the Elvis costumes.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	70. Obvious

***Whistling, pretending to look innocent* I have a feeling you guys are gonna like this one. But I could be wrong.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Obvious – Blink 182<span>

"Hey guys!" Beckett said chipperly coming back from the break room clutching her fresh cup of coffee as we returned. Chipper faded quickly though when she realized we were one short. "Where's Castle?" She set the coffee down carefully, looking at both of us expectantly.

We're in trouble. There's really no way around it. Man, I knew we should have stayed with him. Oh well, nothing left but to tell her now. "Oh, he sliced his arm open at the warehouse," I shrug. I'm going for no big deal here.

Esposito fortunately jumps into help, even as her face goes pale. "We dropped him at the ER to get patched up." Espo isn't going to let scary Beckett stop him though, "He'll be back when he's fixed up."

"You left him at the ER by himself and nobody thought to call me." She grounds out. Pissed Beckett is probably worse than any other Beckett.

"Castle told us too." I mumble because it's true, he'd insisted that we didn't even come in with him as he went to get stitches on the nasty gash he got for being a klutz.

Beckett's not even listening though; she's whirled around snatching her leather jacket off the back of her chair. "I can't believe the three of you," she snaps striding over to the elevators leaving Javi and I in her wake. "I'll deal with you two later," comes across the bullpen as the elevator arrives.

"Shit." I turn looking at Javi. I knew she'd be pissed, I didn't think she'd be that pissed.

He, however, has the biggest grin on his face. "She's got it bad," he practically crows.

"What dude? Do you know how much trouble we're in? I told you we shouldn't have left him there, without at least calling."

Espo just shakes his head, plunking down in his seat. "Once she sees he's fine she'll yell at him and we'll be forgotten."

"And what makes you think that?" I ask my cocky partner.

He smirks, "'Cause they're finally doing it."

"What!" I look at Beckett's desk hoping that it'll magically clear things up, "Since when?" I look back at my partner.

Again with the shrugging, "I don't really know, just got a vibe a few days ago. Her reaction only confirms my theory."

"And you think that it means she'll yell at him and not us because their sleeping together?" Oh man we are in so much more trouble than I thought we were.

"Yeah, because now she has the right to be pissed at him, in something other than a professional capacity." Espo nods sagely.

Time to point it out to him. "Dude if you're right and they're sleeping together then we are in so much more trouble."

"How do you figure?"

"Now we got her boyfriend and partner hurt and left him at the ER without even calling her. She's gonna be pissed at all of us."

Espo's eyes widen just a touch as it sinks in, "Shit."

"Yeah, shit. What are we gonna do?"

He looks quickly at her desk, "All of her paperwork?" which isn't exactly a small feat, give how she tends to get behind.

I groan, this is so not what I needed today. "It couldn't hurt."

* * *

><p><strong>*Pokes head out from where I've been hiding* Whatcha think?<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	71. Just Missed the Train

**So before you read this I promise that there will be another connected one to this.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Just Missed the Train – Kelly Clarkson<span>

She was late. Really, really late. She'd promised him weeks ago that she'd be at the reading and signing, he'd even reminded her this morning when he'd left to go to the other meetings, and signing he had set up for today. He knew that they were in the middle of a case, and that she'd likely got caught up in it, but he'd reminded her anyway.

She'd gotten out of work late, so she'd opted to go straight to the signing. Forgoing going home and shedding the gun and badge for a cute dress so that she could just be Kate the fiance and not Detective Beckett the muse. But she didn't have time for that so she'll be both.

Stupidly she decided to take the subway because there was no way that a cab was going to get her there onto time. Only the train she needed pulled away from the station even as she sprinted for it. And of course the next three trains weren't going where she needed them too and by the time one she did want came through it was packed with over commuters.

Braving the wrath of angry commuters, she squeezed herself in. She'd at least get there by the signing. She'd sent him a text earlier that was mostly _I'm sorry_ but as the commuter behind her grumbles as her gun clad hip collides with his lower back.

The signing is already well underway by the time she got there. Gina smiles and waves beckoning her to duck the ropes and join them. Gina has a theory to get Kate signing things too. "_The author and the muse,"_ she always says with a smirk and a lift of a perfect blonde eyebrow, _"think of the sales."_

She shakes her head though and grabs one the sacked copies of _Secret Heat_ and gets in the back of the line. Her ring taps the binding as she drums her fingers waiting for the line to move forward, not thinking anything of the women in front fawning over him. They know he's engaged, they'd been really public about it a few months ago at the release party, but they still they fawn, and he's giving them all his best author smile.

She yawns, checks her watch, it's nearly over. Gina's probably going to make him keep going until she gets to the front, at least she hopes so, there's only about twenty people in front of her.

Smiling I look down that book, the dedication comes to mind and my gaze ring, the sparkling perfect ring that he bought over a year before he was able to ask. Suddenly, I know exactly what to do, what I'd been planning on telling him when we got home, but this is perfect.

The last woman in front of me give a gentle giggle as he says something flattering and then it's my turn. He's into the grove though, because he doesn't look up as he takes the book, instead he looks at Gina begging for respite, she just smiles and shakes her head.

"Who do I make it out to?" it's the false cheer he has when he's tired and over stimulated.

I give him the book and grin at him, "I was thinking, Mrs. Castle." He's face splits into a grin, "Katherine Castle, actually, this author I know really likes how it sounds."

* * *

><p><strong>I have a theory that when Terri and Andrew were naming our beloved characters the didn't just think about how Kate Beckett sounded but rather also thought about how it sounds with Castle. <em>Kate Castle<em> is nice but there is just something about _Katherine Castle _that I love how it sounds and feels when I say it, and it feels like how I picture Kate is with Castle, just a little bit softer than Detective Beckett. **

**Ok I have no idea if you understood that. But I hope you liked the fleeting fiction.  
><strong>

**Babyrose.  
><strong>


	72. Beautiful Disaster

Beautiful Disaster – Kelly Clarkson

He'd been handys all day, reaching for me, in the precinct. Sliding his fingers into my back pocket. Tucking my hair behind my ear, skimming his fingers down my jawbone. Sitting super close all the time. Wrapping his fingers around mine in the elevator was the last straw as she turned to him and hisses, "Rules Castle."

"Beckett…" he whines, even as he untangles our fingers. I know why he's being touch feely he's reassuring himself. This morning didn't exactly start out stellar. We'd arrived at the crime scene only to have bullets rain down on us from a car without plates. One grazed my arm. No damage to me personally but it tore a hole through my new leather jacket.

So I was pissed enough that the leather jacket I'd just dropped three hundred dollars on was ruined. Then there was Castle, who seemed to have the desperate need to reaffirm himself that I was still there by touching me. The problem wasn't so much that he was being irksome touching me, but I really just wanted to lean into the touch and let him hug me for just a minute. Only that wasn't possible.

This was all still so new, so new that they hadn't told the boys yet. There was no way that they were going to find out because I need a hug. So I'm standing on one side of the elevator, as we coast to the ground floor, and he's on the other. Now we're both grumpy with and we stay that way all day even when we wrap up the case in under 12 hours.

The bullpen is pretty empty when we leave, and he's still pouting as we leave and I know exactly how to cheer him up as he stabs the down button. The car opens and we step on I hit the ground floor button quickly and then step into him.

His intake of breath is audible as I bring my hands up to wrapped my fingers around his lapels. "Thanks for behaving today," I whisper leaning into him capturing his lips with mine. And I kiss him in the elevator as he's been dreaming about for years.

There was a question on the tip of his tongue, I can taste it as I slipped my tongue inside his mouth. Fortunately, I seems to have silenced him for once in his life as his hands land on my ass pulling me closer.

The elevator comes to a stop, and he's the one that pulls back. "Behaving?" he looks happy and amused for the first time all day.

"Well you were pouting all day, but yes behaving." I stroll out the elevator, with him on my heels.

"Does this mean that you're going to come home with me?"

Oh Castle, reaching for his hand I tangle out fingers as we make our way down the block to the cruiser. "Yeah I'm going home with, I could use some Castle time."

He tugs me back to him just wrapping his arms around me in a hug. "Good, because I really need Beckett time."

* * *

><p><strong>O vey I'm sorry if the points of view are all over the place in this one, I tried to fix it I did.<strong>

**Babyrose**


	73. Who's Your Baby Now

**I suggest tissues...  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Who's Your Baby Now – Mark Knopfler<span>

Nate is tugging at my hand in the sterile hospital hallway, "Daddy, hurry." He whines from my feet. Apparently, I'm not moving quickly enough for my little boy.

Bending down I scoop him up of the ground and settle him on my hip. "Hold on just a few minutes Bud. We should stop and get your Mommy and sister a balloon," I tell him detouring into the gift shop.

"Balloon!" Nate claps, excitedly. Oh the woes of being a nearly three year old.

"How about this one?" I snag the pink _It's a Girl_ balloon.

Nate looks at it and frowns, "Its pink, pink is for girls."

I laugh carrying him over to the counter with the balloon, "Yeah kid you have a little sister."

"But she's cool." He folds his arms across his body, there will be no messing with him.

The clerk smiles indulgently at him as he gives me my change, "You're gonna be an awesome big brother aren't you?"

Thrilled with the praise from a stranger, Nate's face splits into a grin. "Yeah. I'm the bestest brother ever."

"I don't doubt it." The clerk gave him a stoic nod as we left the store finally making our way to the elevators that would get us to the maternity ward.

Within minutes though I was forced to set Nate down, because he was squirming so much. Tearing through the door ahead of me before I could grab is shirt to slow him down. I was left to catch up with him hoping his mom was prepared for toddler.

I needn't have worried. Nate had bolted into the room, only to come to a screeching halt at the sight of his mom cradling the bundle of pink blankets. "Is that her?" he asked a sense of awe in his voice.

His mom lifted her head, and her smile could have powered the entire continent. "Yeah, this is your baby sister."

Squatting down next to him, "You want to meet her?" I asks getting a head nod in return. Scooping him up by his armpits, I carried him over to his mom and sister settling him next to my girls.

"Nate," Kate shifted so that her and baby were closer to him, "this is your sister, Victoria Hanna Castle."

"Vic… Victoria," he says softly his finger coming up to gently touch her.

"You can call her Tori." I tell him.

He smiles, "Tori... She's small." He's clearly disconcerted by this, since clearly the baby won't be playing with him right away.

"She'll grow fast," Kate whispers with a kiss to his head. "You want to hold her with me?"

He nods fast, so with some rearranging we manage to get Nate settled between her legs so that they can hold Tori in their laps. Kate is supporting Tori's head as, the fingers of her free hand tangled with mine, and Nate whispering to his sister about all the things they were going to do together.

"Dad you've gone soft." A quiet voice whispers in my ear, and then Alexis is handing a tissue to me so I can wipe my tears away. "She's beautiful, Kate," she ignores my tears and cuddles into my side. "Hey baby sister," my oldest coos and I couldn't help it as more tears escaped.

* * *

><p><strong>I went over the word limit but I just couldn't stop myself.<strong>** I a puddle of emotions...  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	74. My Ghost

**I'm dead serious when I say the people in this fandom are serious some of the nicest human beings on the planet. That's all for now.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>My Ghost – Glass Pear<span>

She's pushing and pulling the sand with her toes, her sandals long forgotten on the porch. Even as she maintains the constant motion, she's completely still, leaning into my side on the fancy drift wood bench I'd bought to go around the fire pit. One hand resting in her lap the other over my knee. If it weren't for my arm slung over her shoulders, feeling the lift and fall of her breaths and the movement of her toes I would think that she had fallen asleep. As it was, she was content to watch the flames flicker.

We'd come out hours ago and built the fire to roast marshmallows for s'mores. Alexis had long since taken off to hang out with some kids she'd met at a bon fire down the beach and Mother had gone to met people for a late cocktail. Leaving us to watch the flames."It's beautiful here," floats softly to my ears.

Running my fingers up and down her bare arm I smile, "Surely you've been to the Hamptons before? A born and bred New Yorker like you."

She shifts against me wrapping her arm around my waist, fingers scrunch my shirt. "I've been, but I meant your house. Your little spot here."

The house isn't massive, bigger than the loft, but mostly because it's a standalone house. It does have a pool and a large deck opening into the grasses that swiftly turn to the sandy shore and running into the ocean. "I'm glad you like it." I press a kiss into her hair, "We can come as often as you like."

"Even in the dead of winter?" She's being contrary just for fun.

I shrug, jostling her head a little bit. "Sure, the house is a little drafty but there's something majestic about the ocean in the dead of winter."

"Always the writer," she sighs and I can hear the content smile in her voice.

"You like that about me." She's never actually said as much, so really I'm putting words in her mouth. But she's a fan of my books so she must like that.

The kiss to the skin at my collarbone is soft and barely there, and yet beautifully reassuring. "You're right I do like that you're always telling a story."

I do a little fist pump, "I knew it." Her answering chuckle is musical on the ocean breeze, as we settle into silence again.

Her toes come to a stop and she pulls her feet up on the bunch fully reclining against me. "Tell me a ghost story?" she asks.

She's only asked for a story a few times, but never a ghost story. "You don't believe in ghosts."

"But I believe in you." She says so simply, as if it really is the most obvious thing in the world.

Once I start breathing normally again, I'm helpless but to give her the story she's asked for. "It was a dark and stormy night…"

"Could you be more cliché?" she teases.

"Hush, you asked for a story... Where was I?"

* * *

><p><strong>I have a soft sleepy smile at the end of this. What about you?<strong>**  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	75. Send Your Love

Send Your Love – Sting

"I'm bored." She groaned when she answered.

I chuckle, "Well hello to you too."

"Hi." I can hear her eye roll. "Hi. How was your day?"

"Boring…" She's pouting. Kate Beckett doesn't pout, and bed rest has her pouting, "I sat in bed for a few hours, sat in the tub, sat on the couch, and now I'm back in bed. I'm bored."

"That sounds like a fine day to me."

"Yeah, well I want to go to the store or the park or the precinct or anything…"she sighs and I can hear her hand thumping down on the covers in frustration. "Instead I'm stuck at home and you're not even here to annoy me."

"I miss you too."

"I'm not sure I miss you. It's your fault I'm on pregnant and on bed rest. You've add to it by being out of town."

"Well do accept my sincerest apology for putting you in such a state and then leaving you but I have to do this trip and I want to do it before Nate arrives."

"…I know…" She's getting over it, "I suppose I can forgive you… How was your day?"

"Horrible."

"Really?" I've perked her interest.

"Yes really, would I lie to you?"

"What happened?"

"Well there was a fight at the Dallas suburb Barnes and Noble and the cops showed up."

"Oh geeze."

"Oh geeze is right and the cops down here are nothing like the Texas cops on TV."

"You spend all day with me and you're surprised that these cops weren't like they are on TV?" She's laughing at me.

"They didn't even have decent accents Kate."

"Well damn Castle that is rough."

"Oh quiet you my life is horrible all I do is lay around in bed all day."

It's quiet for a moment, and then "I miss you," comes across the line.

"I knew it…" I tease her gently. "I miss you too."

"I love you." She's smiling.

"Love you too."

"Hurry home Castle." Even though she knows I have another two cities left on this trip.

"I'll do my best Castle, now get some sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Kate…"

"Okay, okay I'll sleep."

"Until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow Stud," She promises, before disconnecting.


	76. Never Again

**Wow major renovations to the site. Everything looks funny except for the story.  
><strong>

**There's a swear word ahead. Heads up.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Never Again – Kelly Clarkson<span>

_Oh, that's so much better._

He's breathing heavily into the crook of my neck trying to pull himself together. I'm matching him slipping my fingers through his hair. My jeans are in a pile in the corner where I kicked them off, my pumps tangled in the legs. My shirt is open so that we're pressed skin to skin, in the tiny little room. At least as much skin as we could get to in under five minutes.

His breathing is finally returning to normal when he whispers, "That was fast." Almost like he's worried like he's worried.

"That was good." I smile, fingers tripping over the bruise already forming where I'd bit him to quiet myself, "You're going to bruise."

"I'm not the only one," he's smirking, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Tenderly I poke the spot he's referring to, my shirt should cover it. Unhooking my legs, I let myself slide back down to the ground. "We should get dressed before someone notices we're missing."

He gives me enough room to grab my pants and pull them on. "Not that I'm complaining but what inspired breaking all the rules in the supply closet?"

Struggling into my shoes, he steps closer buttoning my shirt now that he's finished his, as I try and fix our hair so it looks a little less finger ruffled. "Hormones," I shrug. I really have no other explanation other than I needed him desperately, and suddenly.

"I like you pregnant," he mumbles catching me in a kiss pressing me up against the door, tortuously devouring me. Sending my hormones into a tailspin of need as he thoroughly mapped my mouth with his tongue.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

We both froze. "If you guys are finished we have a lead," Esposito's voice came through the door.

Pushing Castle off me, "Fuck!" Castle is trying to hold in his laughter even as I try to control my embarrassment, "This isn't funny!" I smack him. Wrenching open the door, "Never Again." I hiss back at him.

"Whatever you say Detective," He whistles behind me as we make our way back to the bullpen where Ryan and Esposito are leaning against my desk looking high and mighty.

* * *

><p><strong>I giggle at this, do you?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	77. Citizen Solider

**Spent most of my day looking at kitty's to adopt...**

* * *

><p><span>Citizen Solider – 3 Doors Down<span>

She's coiling her hair into a bun at the base of her neck, taming the locks into something sensible. The Mayor is giving her an award today, key to the city I think, for an act of valor. An act of valor that involved her diving into the Hudson River to save two drowning kids, but I try not dwell on that.

It means dress blues, and taming the hair so that she can wear the hat. She looks so young. I can see her at 23 fresh out of the academy about to go on her first patrol, determined to do everything by the rule book. It's as she's sliding the last bobby pin into place that I catch her eye, "Like what you see?" She smiles turning on the spot for me to inspect her, like a small girl in her new dress.

"Just thinking how young you look." I tell her, as she steps closer.

"Can't be too young, I've got too much hardware." She taps the collection of colorful pins on her chest.

"What do all of those even mean?" I ask following her into the bedroom.

She scoops her hat off the bed and flips it onto her head. "This one's for making detective." She taps one sort of in the middle, "The rest are years of service and accommodations."

"You look good," I tell her with a smile.

She rolls her eyes, "I look the same as I always have in this thing."

"Exactly." I agree crossing the room to her.

She smirks happily and rocks up on the toes of the hideous shoes. "You're sweet," She says against my lips, kissing me lightly. "Ready?" She asks leading the way out of the bedroom.

"I wish I'd known you then," comes unbidden from my lips.

"Known me when?" She asks easily calling the elevator as she waits for me to lock the door.

Coming to stand next to her, as the elevator creeps closer, "When you were a young fresh faced rookie."

She laughs that beautiful free laugh that usually accompanies tumbling hair, "Oh Castle I would have chewed you up and spit you out."

"Who says you haven't chewed me up already?" I ask crowding her into the elevator.

"Well I promise not to spit you out." She whispers looping her arms around my neck, and exaggeratedly tilting her head to compensate for the hat as she captures my mouth in a kiss brimming with promise.

* * *

><p><strong>I honestly have no idea where that came from, I sat down to write something about her in her uniform and this is what I came up with.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	78. It's You

**Fluffiness ahead. Wonderful fluff.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>It's You – Michelle Branch<span>

"Kate?" His voice echo's from the office where he's unpacking boxes of my books, fitting them onto the shelves between his own collection, while I merge our coffee cup collections.

"Castle?" I call back, I have no idea what he's wondering about. The whole time we were packing he was asking for the story behind every little nick-knack in the typical Castle fashion. Now we're unpacking, surely he'd gotten all the answers he need. Turning back to find the last cups only to see him coming towards me clutching one of my copy's of his books.

"What's this?" He asks holding up the book. There's a curious smile on his face as he leans against the counter.

"Well I don't know Castle, but it looks like a book."

He laughs, "Oh you're a smart ass you know that."

"It works for me." I shrug turning to add the last mugs to the cabinet.

"No, this is a signed edition of the first Derek Storm novel." He waves it at me, opening the cover to show me the words scrawled inside.

"So it is." I smile at him, he wants to know but he's not sure if he should ask. "Ask away Castle."

"It's signed to you." He states rather obviously, before looking back at the page. "Kate – keep looking for answers - Richard Castle." He reads back to me, before looking up at me the questions written plainly across his face.

Leaning across the counter I take the book from him, running my fingers over the indents from the pen he'd used all those years ago. "I was still a uniform and I waited in line for like three hours on my day off to get you to sign this at a Barnes and Noble, clear across town from where I was living at the time."

I look up to find him watching me completely enamored with the story. "But it was totally worth it when I got to the front of the line and you smiled that playboy grin of yours and asked my name. So I told you and you asked what I did for a living. You made this great face when I told you I was a cop," I laugh remembering because he makes it to this day, the mix between revulsion and unbridled curiosity, "and you asked me _why would such a pretty girl do that?"_

He's making mental notes I can see it, "What did you say?"

"That I like finding answers," I answer simply.

Standing up, he makes his way around the counter. "I wish I remembered."

I shake my head turning toward him, "I don't. You have your story of how we first meet and I have mine." Boosting myself up on the counter, I looped my arms around his neck as he stepped between my legs. "I was a little bit in love with you."

"Oh really?" He smirks.

I shake my head, nose brushing against his, "Who knew you'd turn out to be such a pain in my ass."

"That's not nice," he mumbles against my lips. Before pulling back and rest his forehead on mine. "You must have captured my attention though, I don't usually write more than thanks for reading."

Capturing his lips in another kiss, "Yeah, I think I got your attention."

* * *

><p><strong>How do your teeth feel? Do you need a dentist?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	79. Sooner or Later

**It's so very nearly Friday here thank goodness.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Sooner or Later – Breaking Benjamin<span>

The door to the bathroom opened, just as I was coming back into the room clutching two cups of coffee, expelling the built up steam and one freshly washed detective wrapped in a towel. "Good morning."

"Morning." She grins taking the cup of coffee, leaning in to brush a kiss across my lips, "You going to be ready to go in twenty?"

"Me? I think you take longer to get ready than I do Detective." I smirk at her crossing into the bathroom so that I could shave while she got dress, "I'm not the one with a mane of hair to work with."

"It's too hot to bother with it, I'll just braid it." I can hear her shrug as she goes into the closet, pulling out one of the three pairs of jeans that have migrated here in a few short weeks, and a sleeveless blouse.

She's braiding said hair as I come out to pull on my own clothes. "I smell like you," she sniffs the end of the braid suspiciously like its offending her.

"I thought you liked how I smell." I ask coming up behind her wrapping my arms around her waist burying my head in the crook of her neck, inhaling my body wash over a scent that is purely Kate.

Relaxing back into my chest she wrapped an arm around my head, turning her head so she could press a kiss to my cheek. "I do like how you smell; I just don't think I can keep going to work smelling like you."

"Ah you're worried the keen Detectives Ryan and Esposito will smell that there is more to you and I showing up together at early morning crime scenes than you picking me up on your way."

"Something like that," she steps out of my arms in the direction of the bathroom, to do her make up.

"So why don't you get a set of stuff for here?" I ask leaning against the door frame to watch her meticulously apply the eyeliner that she rummaged out of the tiny makeup case she's been keeping in the car. "You know… all you shower stuff, and lotions, and maybe a set of makeup so I don't have to hear you complain about your eyeliner melting in the car."

She turns to me one eye finished the other completely naked, it's a disconcerting look, only accentuated by the face she's making. "Oh, that's your motive, you don't want to hear me complain about my eyeliner?"

"Well that and I as much as I like you smelling like me, I like when you smell like you. And I like when you're here." I shrug, "The solution is simple you need a set of stuff here, and I'll get a set of stuff for your place."

She smiles turning back to the mirror to even out her eyes, "Presumptuous aren't we."

"Nah, I just don't like smelling like cherries, and aftershave," I chuckle.

She laughs, "It is a little weird."

* * *

><p><strong>I sometimes really wish we saw summers of tv shows because I want to see them complain about the heat and all these lovely ladies deal with their hair on humid days on the east coast. Realty is that even if they did summer episodes they film in CA where it is definitely less humid than it is out east. (Humidity might be the biggest detractor of the east coast.)<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	80. All You Need Is Love

**Painted my room purple this weekend, that's why no updates... I think Beckett would approve.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>All You Need Is Love - The Beatles<span>

Canvassing the park is probably one of the most fruitless things we do normally. People come and go and aren't necessarily regulars at them. Of course, there are the homeless, drug addicts and panhandlers that spend enough time at parks to see things. They don't exactly fall into the reliable category. The best regulars at parks for cops though are at play grounds, which is where we are today hoping that one of the nannies or parents recognized our victim found nearby.

I was just finishing talking with a young woman who thought our vic was a nanny in a nearby building, having a flashback to our second case, when I realized that Castle wasn't standing with me, instead he was pushing that daughter of the woman I was talking with on the nearby swings.

The little girl was laughing as Castle tells her a story with a huge grin on his face. "You've got a good one there," the woman told me with a smile, before heading over to relieve Castle of his pushing duties.

"What's with the smile?" he asked as he jogged over to me.

I shrug starting toward the car, "Nothing, you just looked like you were having fun."

"It's been a long time since I've pushed a little girl on the swings," he grabs my hand despite the fact that he knows it's against the rules, only squeezing my hand when I look pointedly at it but make no move to disengage.

"Would you do it again?" I ask determinedly keeping my features schooled, not looking at him.

I can feel his eyes on me but I refuse to look at him. "Sure, I would push a little girl on the swings again so that you can finish your interview."

Then he purposely misunderstands me, and I whip my gaze back to find him grinning at me. "Castle..." I sigh exasperated.

"Not what you meant detective?' he asks coming to a stop underneath a tree, tugging on my hand to pull me back to him. Dropping his voice, "Would I raise a child again?" he asked me, beautiful blue eyes sparkling.

"Yes." I bite my lip nervously, I really hadn't meant to start this conversation but seeing him on the play ground my mouth had gotten away from me.

Releasing my hand he wrapped both of his arms around my waist, pulling me to him, he shook his head. "Not by myself. Don t get me wrong I loved raising Alexis and I have the perfect career to do it, but I don t think I could do it alone again."

I brought my hands up to his chest, rubbing my fingers gently against the material. "If you had someone to do it with?" I looked up at him under my eyelashes, this whole thing making me very shy.

A hand came up and tilted my chin up, "I would raise fifteen kids with you Kate." He leans in capturing my lips in a kiss. "You're the only one I would raise kids with, as many as you want, when you re ready." Just as I m leaning in for another kiss, my phone rings startling us both. "I think we should probably tell the boy that we're dating first though," he manages to laugh.

* * *

><p><strong>Just fyi I see this as pretty early in the story line.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	81. Shut Up and Drive

**I hope that one day we get to see Beckett on her motorcycle.**

* * *

><p><span>Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna<span>

She disappeared ten minutes ago with no hint of where she was headed. She just disappeared leaving me to sit in my chair and play with my phone. I was in the middle of trying to come up with a decent word in my game with Alexis when I felt her behind me, "I have a surprise for you," her breath hot against my ear, setting my blood on fire.

"You do?" I could feel my eyebrows shoot up as I swiveled to take her in. She'd apparently disappeared to change, seeing as now she was wearing tight jeans, boots and one of many leather jackets. And then my eyes zeroed in on the helmet, she was clutching.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could go for a ride." She grins saucily at me, striding towards the elevator hitting the down button and I've yet to move. I think I'm frozen to my seat. "You coming Castle?" I can hear her laughing at me as I scramble over to her just as the elevator opens.

Fortuitously the elevator is empty so when she hit the garage button and the doors, slide close I crowded her up against the wall. "Seriously?" I breathe roughly in her ear before capturing her lips in a thorough kiss that lasted until the chime indicating we'd arrived pierced the air.

Pushing me away she grins clearly pleased with herself, "If I'd know you'd get this riled up about it we would have gone sooner." She saunter away into the garage.

"Liar." I follow, "You've been teasing me with the fact that you own a motorcycle for years."

Her laughter echoes around the concrete garage as we round the corner and there it is. "Tada," She says breathlessly opening the container on the back and pulled out a second helmet tossing it to me.

Of course, I manage to fumble it, and it clatters to the floor leaving me to chase after it. When I finally manage to catch it and upright myself she's now straddling the bike, smiling at me. "Oh that's so hot." Manages to escape my lips and I pull out my phone to snap a picture of her.

Shaking her head with a roll of her eyes she pulls her helmet on. "Come on Castle." She revs the engine walking the bike out of the spot, stopping in front of me. "Well get on. Otherwise I'll leave without you." She revs the engine again startling me into action.

"Right." I pull the helmet on, and scrambled onto the bike behind her following her directions as to where to put my feet before wrapping my arms around her waist. "Can I drive this sometime?" I ask as we pull out of the garage.

"Not a chance Castle." Comes back to me, before she peels out onto the road weaving into traffic.

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><p><strong>Castle would fumble the helmet wouldn't he :)<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	82. A Great Day for Freedom

**I've discerned two things about Kate Beckett's tattoo A) She got in high school so before her mother died and B) It's not somewhere we've seen.  
><strong>

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><p><span>A Great Day For Freedom – Pink Floyd<span>

"When'd you get it?" he asked softly finger tips tripping over the phrase, his head level with it on the mattress as he read it over and over again finger tips chasing the gentle swirl of the script I'd chosen.

"Oh," I huff thinking back to the rebellious few months where the motorcycle wasn't enough to establish my freedom and individuality. "I was 17, the summer before senior year of high school. I wanted to show that I was different from my parents. "

"Why?" he asks his voice filled with curiosity, and parental disapproval

"Because we were fighting over where I wanted to go to college, test scores and what I would study. Truth is we all wanted the same thing but that just felt oppressive to me."

"So you go a tattoo?" I can hear the skeptism in his voice, knowing there's a quirked eyebrow to accompany it.

I laugh, "You sound like my dad."

"I bet he was pleased," he grouses next to me.

"It's not a bad thing Castle I just forget you're a dad sometimes." I chuckle before sobering, "He didn't know until last summer when he was taking care of me... It's not exactly in a spot your father sees very often."

"Did your mom know?" he asks timidly, awaiting my reaction.

I smile, though remembering my mom's amused face. "Yeah, she saw it when we were shopping, trying clothes on. Homecoming dresses or something, I don't remember, but she fixed me with this look though and said, _'Katie you are going to spend the rest of your life trying to find clothes that will hide that.'_" He presses a soft kiss to the lettered skin on my rib cage, "I threw some retort at her about not wanting to hide it, despite the fact that I'd been doing just that for months."

"It wasn't until that night when she came to say good night that she actually instated on reading it."

"What she say?"

"She shook her head, smiled, and said, _'It suits you'_"

It's then that Castle boosts himself up to look at me, hover over my body, "It still does." His voice is laced with lust and awe, as he leans into capture my lips allowing his body to fall firmly against mine.

"Differently." Is all that I can get out as he captures my attention with other activities. But he's right it still does suit me. Not in the way I ever thought it would when I was 17 but it's still suits me.

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><p><strong>What I haven't determined is what the tattoo reads and I spent ages looking before I decided it didn't matter and I'd ask you guys what you thought it should read. So any ideas?<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	83. Unsung

**This one kinda of took the wind out me when I was writing it, it's way past 500 words but I needed to see it done. And I think it's something that a lot of the fandom needs a resolution on this front.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Unsung – Vanessa<span>

I can smell the coffee brewing when I wake up. Too early on a Saturday for Dad but Kate is probably out running so he's trying to surprise her when she comes back. Pulling myself out of bed, I wander down to help. Elaborate breakfasts are some of the best meals with dad. However reaching the bottom of the stairs I find Kate dancing around the kitchen as she makes breakfast, cup of coffee steaming next to the stove.

"Morning Alexis." She calls cheerfully as I pull myself on a bar stool, as she sets a cup of coffee in front of me, before going back to stirring the waffle batter. I smile appreciatively taking a sip, surprised to find it exactly the way I like it.

"How'd you know?"

She smiles, pouring batter into the griddle, "You take it exactly like your dad does on the weekends. You like waffles?"

"Love them." I watch her bopping around the kitchen, like she belongs there, "Kate what changed?"

Her face transformed from light and happy to more contemplative as she set the bowl aside, taking the minute to wipe her hands before she locked eyes with me, "I assume you between me and your dad?"

I nod, wrap my hands around the cup of coffee that's evidence of her love of not just him. "You guys… it's just for so long you guys… and then I came home and you're both... well not perfect but pretty close that fairytale ending everyone wants… Kate he's been in love with you since, probably since you brought him in for questioning that first time and there's no way that you didn't know that because you're way too smart for that… but then last summer you got shot, and he nearly got shot and you didn't talk to him... you cut him out… You didn't see him that summer he was broken I mean sure he was my dad but the spark was gone and…" I inhaled deeply, "and all of the sudden you guys…"

"Alexis," Kate's voice cut through my tirade and with those magical cop powers she has and held the silence for just a second, long enough for me to flush at how silly I must have sounded. leaning over the counter taking a steadying breath. "I love your father." That was all she said for a full minute, letting it sink in. There's something about that though, hearing it in the simplest terms straight from her lips that answers so many questions.

"I have a lot of baggage... Alexis, you and your dad, you deserve everything, someone without bullet scars and emotional ones that run so deep that they're physically incapacitating at times." She says each word carefully measured trying to find the clearest way to say it.

"But he only ever wanted you."

"I know," she nods softly, reaching out to lay a hand over mine. "I've loved him in some capacity since I picked up that first Derek Storm novel, and in some capacity he's always been there for me… whether it was his stories, the goofy author following me around or as the man that loved me even when I was too broken to give him what he needed... it took him walking away, him finally protecting himself from me that… him not being there when I needed him that made me realize how much I love your father, how much I need him... that nothing else matters if I don't have him."

She was so calm and serious and she forged on even as I wiped away tear. "There's nothing in this world that is more important to me than your father and you."

I choke a little bit, "Me?"

She nods, "You and your dad are a package deal, always have been, and it's one of many reasons I love him."

She steps back rescuing the waffle just as it starts to burn giving me a second to collect myself as she goes about pouring more batter and starting a pan on the stove for bacon. "Kate?" I say softly hoping that she'll look up at me again, and she does. "He could have never walked away forever. He's never looked at anyone the way he looks at you, or talked about them, been self-sacrificing for them, grounded for, or as inspired by as he is by you."

The corner of her mouth quirks up even as I see tears glistening the forest green. "I can think of one person," she says softly.

"Who?" no one comes to mind since he met Kate and no one before did.

"You," she says with a wink as she starts cracking eggs into a bowl.

I can't help myself, a watery laugh escapes, and she resumes her dancing around the kitchen that will be hers one day humming as though the last five minutes never happened. "What can I do to help?" I ask polishing off the last of my coffee.

"Actually if you could run to the store it seems like we're out of orange juice and whip cream." The fact that she knows dad won't even consider the waffles without the whip cream says just as much as every word that came before.

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><p><strong>People seems to think that Alexis hates Kate (not everyone just some) and it's not really something I get. Alexis doesn't want to see her dad get hurt emotionally or physically and that's different than hating Kate. I think she's weary of the situation though because Kate is really the only person that's ever had the power to hurt him like that. But I also think that she see's that it's a two way street for Beckett and Castle though and for everything her dad will do for Kate she knows Kate would do the same for him which is why she doesn't understand Kate's actions.<br>**

**Just my thoughts on the matter. I'd love to hear what you thought on the fiction.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	84. Fall to Pieces

**A series of problems have a occurred namely I don't want to finish this because I like it so much, life is way to busy for it's own good, and I refuse to have them upset in this fic since that's not it's point. Although I might be inspired to write a companion of fights but there's no way it would be as many chapters.**

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><p><span>Fall to Pieces - Avril Lavigne<span>

The water is scalding hot as I settle into it. The angry pink flush crawling up my skin distracting me from everything else at the moment. Sucking in air through my teeth I slowly lower myself in to the water, giving my skin no time to adjust, just submerging myself in the jasmine water, pulling in solid breathes through my nose focusing on acclimating and nothing else for the moment.

Finally, I felt comfortable enough to just let my head fall back against the edge reaching over to turn on the jets, thanking whatever stroke of genius was involved when he had this installed. My sweet, infuriating, annoying, wonderful man who sometimes could be so stupid. Sighing I opened my eyes lifted my hands out of the water. The interlocking bands sparkling back reminding me of exactly why he'd done it, even if it was infuriating.

Closing my eyes again I let my arms just float below the surface, trying to figure out how to word my apology and reason with him, then I heard the bathroom door snick closed, but he didn't say anything just stood by the door, clearly that was all he'd thought out. So we're just going to just go for it, cause that worked so well for us earlier.

"I'm not sorry for sending you home." I look at him, he's leaning against the bathroom, looking dejected, he's twisting his own ring round and round. "Come here." He shuffles across the room still not really meeting my eyes. Shaking a hand off I reach out and tug on his jeans, "Get in."

A small smile lightens his features as he shucks his clothes, and I slide forward in the tub so that he can climb in behind me. Arranging ourselves in the tub, I settle back against his chest, the warmth from his skin magnifying that of the water. Lacing the fingers of our left hands together, the rings clash together echoing the vows that came with them, "I am sorry that I yelled at you."

He lets out a gushing breath of hot air against the exposed skin of my neck, "I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have." He runs a series of open mouthed kisses along my shoulder. "I just… he said those things and I couldn't help myself…"

Picking up his left hand, bringing our tangled fingers to my lips, I hold them to my lips for just a second before letting my head fall back so that I could look at him, still holding up our ring-clad fingers. "I'm definitely yours Castle, nothing a scumbag lawyer says is going to change that, and you can't go lunging after every asshole that hits on me."

"Wanna bet?" he growls under his breath in contradiction to the way his fingers squeeze mine. "He didn't just hit you, he grabbed your ass."

"And I'm perfectly capable of breaking his hand if it was necessary." I smile at him, because he real does understand that he was being ridiculous.

He buries his nose in the crook of my neck for a second taking a deep breath then blowing cold air across the nape of my neck raising goosebumps despite the heat of the water. "I'm sorry," he huffs.

"I know." Closing my eyes, I let my head roll against his neck and just let him hold me in the cooling bath water. "Our first fight as a married couple."

"We made it two weeks." I can hear the smile in his voice as his hands became more adventurous, "There should be a prize."

I laugh pressing a kiss to his throat. "There is, it's called make-up sex."

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><p><strong>Well what are your thoughts?<strong>

**Also you know you're a Castle nerd when your best friend books a ticket to see you and you figure out what Castle rerun is airing while she's here because obviously you must watch it together.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	85. Rhythm of Love

Rhythm of Love – Plain White T's

The fluorescent lights in pharmacies always seem especially harsh when you're trying to buy something that can fall into the potentially problematic category. Also why are there so many brands? Seriously do we really need fifteen different versions? Surely one, maybe two would be enough?

The clerk rings it up without even blinking too jaded by people half my age buying a dozen in a shaky panic of disbelief. The old lady in line behind me though smiles, taking in the ring and the box, and says, "Congratulations, I hope it's the news you're hoping for." Only that's just it, I have no idea what I want the out come to be.

Honestly I don't even know what possessed me to buy it. I was a few days late, but I'd messed with the pill to accommodate the surprise honeymoon 6 months ago and I was still slowly getting back on track, so it was probably nothing. And yet something had possessed me to stop in CVS on the way home and just grab one. Which of course felt like more of an ordeal than it really was.

I'd fully planned on getting through the door and making a break for the bathroom, and just getting my answer now so that I could assess the situation from there. But the front door swung open to my husband and daughter laughing as Alexis regaled him with the story of some freshman she was TAing in Bio and how he had hopeless tried to flirt with her. I was swept into the laughter of a normal night at home and the box stayed in my purse forgotten.

It isn't until the next morning when Ryan calls about a body that I even remember it. Castle heads to the kitchen to make coffee leaving me to finish getting ready and my stomach rolls at in reminder that there might not be coffee for nine months. That has to be some kind of punishment.

Snatching the box I head into the bathroom taking the test and attempting to wait patiently as it just sits on the counter. I should have bought the three minute test. I can hear Castle calling me from the kitchen, he must have finished the coffee, but I can't bring myself to answer. On one pass of the bathroom of unlatch the door, he'll find his way here soon enough. Glancing at my watch, I've got another ninety seconds. I pull in a deep breath. It doesn't matter what the answer is I know we're going to be fine, we have to be fine.

I feel the air pressure change and I know he's found me. Turning to retread the bathroom again. I know he's watching me that he's put everything together, but he's patiently watching me. I look at my watch again, five minutes is up. Taking a deep breath and steeling myself I look up and him.

He's smiling that soft reassuring smile that is just what I need in that moment, the one that says everything is going to be ok we've got each other. It's in that moment that I know everything is going to be alright as I turn and pick up the test.

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><p><strong>Before you ask it's chapter 11 if you want more :)<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	86. Prince

**Sometimes I'm just standing in the shower and these things come to me and then I'm trying to remember this whole conversation I mapped out in my head and it never comes out quiet as nice as it did in my head.****  
><strong>

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><p><span>Prince – Vanessa Carlton<span>

Her dress flares out around her knees as I spin her on the dance floor, the matching laughter of pure joy makes his heart skip a beat as he pulls her body back to him. Her eyes are sparkling with joy and she has that wonderful smile she has on when she shares something with me. "This is fun Castle," she says on a sigh as she settles back against me.

"You sound surprised?"

She presses a kiss to my cheek stepping in a little closer as the music changed. "Well I have to admit that I was expecting you to blindfold me and take me on a helicopter ride or something equally ridiculous for our first date."

I laugh, "That would have been fun too and I did think about it, but I figure I have of plenty of time to surprise you."

"Oh you do?" Her voice is soft and laced with hope as well as hesitation.

I sigh tugging her just closer, "Yeah I do," I can feel her smile as she settles her head on my shoulder. "One day I'm going to ask you to marry me."

She freezes against me, "Castle… It's only been a month."

"You know better than that Kate, it's been four years. I'm not asking today but I will." She nods a little bit against me, and we're silent swaying to the slower song. "On our second case together you told me that you were a 'one and done kinda girl' would you be here if you didn't think this was it?"

She's quiet for a moment before she pulls back just far enough that she's looking in my eyes, "No. No I wouldn't be Rick." Her hand cups the back of my neck as she lays her lips over mine softly kissing me reassuring me that her hesitation wasn't anything to worry about.

Smiling as she rested her forehead against mine, I opened my eyes to find hers twinkling back at me. "Ok so let's just enjoy our first date and worry about all the rest later."

She grins wrapping herself around me even tighter, "You think we can enjoy the rest of our date at home?"

"Tired of dancing?"

She shakes her head just a little bit, "Not at all I'd just rather continue dancing without our clothes." Then she bites that damned lip of hers and I'm helpless not to crush my lips to her. She lets me kiss her until she deems it indecent and then untangles all but her hand and pull back toward our table for our stuff. "Come on Prince Charming, take me home," she laughs as I scramble after her.

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><p><strong>Did you like it?<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	87. Upside Down

Upside Down – Jack Johnson

I write because that is the fun part, using my imagination to create whole new worlds. Worlds where the characters can only bleed ink and can be as daring as my mind lets them be. I don't write to spend the whole day in meetings haggling over the cover, or the characterization of my character in one section. She's my damn character for god sakes, and she's based on my wife, I say that's how she reacts that's how she reacts. Needless to say it was a long day with a lot of less than pleasant interaction with my editor and publishing team and I was relieve to be opening the door to the loft hoping to find my children before calling my wife and convincing her that she should come home early.

I could hear Nate in the living room, playing with his train set, his latest obsession making the noises and building the tracks before running the drain wherever he pleased. Much to his baby sister's amusement as her infant laughter tinkled through the apartment accompanied by the sound of her clapping hands.

"Guess whose home!" I call around the corner of the coat closet to the kids and nanny. I was rewarded with a squeal of pure joy from Tori and Nate whipped around to see if I was magically appearing or as I stepped around.

Only instead of finding Olivia, the wonderful young woman that helps with the kids when neither Kate nor myself can be home, I find my wife sitting on the floor surrounded by train tracks and cars, in addition to the colorful set to of letter blocks. Her hand is wrapped around Tori's waist so that the just mobile baby doesn't take off without her noticing.

Her hair is lose and curly around her face, as she looks up and her eyes sparkling and huge smile, she picks up Tori's hand and waves at me. "Say hi to Daddy," she mock whispers in the baby's ear. Tori squeals and bounces, and Nate takes mom's suggestion to heart as he hurtles himself at my kneecaps.

"Hey big guy!" I bend down and scoop up the energy ball and he began to chatter in my ear about his train. I only had eyes for his mom, as she stood scooping Tori off the floor and settling the baby on her hip as she made her way over to me.

"Hi Daddy." She said under her breath as she leaned in her breath ghosting across my face as she leaned in to kiss me.

"What a surprise to find you here?"

She smiles bouncing the baby on her hip, "Boys kicked me out. Said we should celebrate our anniversary. Ryan and Jenny are coming to get the kids in fifteen minutes. Jenny is insisting that they keep them overnight."

"Hmm." I kissed her softly even as Nate squiggles to get down. "Remind me to do something really nice for them."

"Happy anniversary Castle," she says on a laugh of pure joy, pulling away.

I set Nate down so that I can wrap an arm around her waist pulling her and the baby back to me, "Best five years of my life."

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><p><strong>Only 13 left...<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	88. You Don't Know

**You guys have been quiet lately. I hope it's because you're out doing wonderful summery things and not cause you're super stressed and busy.**

**This conversation should happen... will happen one day... so I'd like to hear what you thought of my version.  
><strong>

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><p><span>You Don't Know – 98 Degrees<span>

"Hey can I talk to you about something?" He asked as he came out of the office where he was supposedly writing, and clearly hadn't been if he was asking me questions.

"Sure If I can ask you something first." I shrug, it's not like I can decide.

He eyes me cautiously, "What do you want to ask?"

I hold up the two samples, "Which napkin for the reception?"

"They're the same…" he's smiling and clearly confused.

I roll my eyes, "Right or left?"

"Left." He says with a nod of his head.

I nod filling in the form with the right alphanumeric sequence. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I set all the folders aside and turn to face him. He's clearly nervous, his hands in his pockets shoulders up by his ears.

He takes a steadying breath, "OK this is just something that I want you to think about. I don't need an answer right now but you have no idea how much it would mean to me if you did."

"Castle spit it out."

"That's exactly it."

"What's exactly it?" This conversation is going in circles and I have no idea what he's trying to get at.

He huffs and steps closer, "Would you consider taking my last name?"

"Rick…" I'm at a loss for words.

He reaches over and picks up my hand with both of his, smoothing his thumb across the knuckles. "I don't want an answer now, and I'm willing to go eight rounds over it, and in the end if you decide not to that's fine. You could stay Detective Beckett, but if you could be Kate Castle that would mean so much to me."

"Why?" I ask bending a little bit so that I can see the eyes that he's cautiously directing anywhere but my gaze like he's afraid of what I'll see.

"Meredith and Gina refused to even consider the notion and I found that didn't bother me in the least." He finally lifts his head one hand coming to cup my jaw, "But you Kate… I really want you to be a Castle and aside from you agreeing to be my wife being able to call you Mrs. Castle, having you officially be Katherine Castle would mean the world to me."

"I'd be the only Mrs. Castle?" I'm getting weirdly choked up at how wonderfully sweet he's being. "I feel like you're proposing again."

He chuckles softly even as his eyes glisten with unshed tears, "It feels a little like that."

Stretching up to kiss him quickly, "I would never have said yes to you if I didn't want to be Mrs. Castle with or without the official name change."

"I know but I wanted to ask you to make it official."

I grin, "Expect to go at least eight rounds on this," because he's sure to come up with some wonderfully absurd reasons.

His eyes light up, "Really?"

"Really? I haven't agreed to anything yet aside from fighting with you over it." I laugh.

"You're going to say yes by the end of it though, you just want to see what I'll come up with to convince you." He says gleefully.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you could have just told me no flat out." He now kisses me hard and fast, "I think I'm going to go all out and convince you to become Detective Castle too then it'll feel like you win something when you tell me you'll be Mrs. Castle and Detective Beckett."

I can't help but laugh because he knows me too well.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? I know people aren't necessarily the biggest fans of her taking his name but I'm a little bit in love with it.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	89. Going Under

**Went for a little different style here, it's just dialogue but I think it's pretty easy to follow.**

**Because there is no way that they are done with her mother's case...  
><strong>

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><p><span>Going Under - Evanescence<span>

"You don't have to do this Kate."

"What do you want me to do? Give up? Walk away? Surrender? That doesn't work I already tried to do that and it came back even though I walked away."

"You don't have to dive head first down the rabbit hole."

"I can't wait for it to come and get me."

"You don't have to go down the rabbit hole at all.

"Castle… I already told you I don't have a choice it's coming and I have to put an end to it."

"That's just it Kate it isn't just you. You keep saying _I don't have a choice, I can't walk away_."

"Who is there but me?"

"You vastly underestimate how much I love you if you think that it's just you in this. Where you go I follow that much should be evident by now. I got you and I'm not letting you go."

"Rick… You and I… you're not a cop I can't take you away from your daughter, your mother… god I love you too much to hurt them like that."

"You think that if you disappear that I won't be a wreck? That, that won't take me from them in just as a horrible manner? It'll be a waking nightmare Kate. I can't let you do this alone no matter what."

"We're not enough to win Castle."

"But you by yourself is?... I don't think so. That's you sacrificing yourself when you don't have to."

"Who else is there?"

"Let's start with Ryan and Esposito. You're not just their boss you're their big sister, aunt to their kids. You're they're guiding light in this job even when everything else goes wonky, they will follow you to the ends of the earth whether or not you ask them too. What about Gates?"

"She could give a shit."

"I'm not her biggest fan either but I've seen how she watches you Kate. You're everything she never got to be. You get to bend the rules, remake the game, and win at the end of the day in a way that she never got to. From the day she set foot in here she never wanted anything but for you to be the best Detective out there."

"She wanted you gone for the first year. I'm not at my best without you."

"I'm unorthodox. She came around eventually. But you don't think she won't raise the troops to bring an end to reign that has tormented her city quietly for years then the meaning of _Iron Gates_ has gone over your head. Kate she's the only women in this city that is more determined than you are."

"What if we lose?"

"Then it won't be for lack of numbers, or sheer will. It will because New York is no longer standing."

….

"I love you."

"Good. Now get your head on straight and remember that you're not doing this by yourself."

"I can do that."

...

"Kate, I love you too."

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><p><strong>Not the happiest piece I've ever written and it had me a little tear eyed writing it but it felt right to me. I'm very interested to hear your opinions on this. Thanks.<br>**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	90. Now or Never

**Fires are burning up my home state and getting dangerously close to my parents house. I'm feeling a little hopeless about the whole situation because I'm thousand miles away and my parents are out of the country.**

**So we have some Castle fluff or the more problem of getting interrupted right before an important conversation.  
><strong>

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><p><span>Now or Never – Josh Groban<span>

"I finished." She came striding into my office dropping the manuscript on the desk as she made her way around it.

Saving the document on my laptop. If it happened today those words would still be perfect and if it didn't then I could make them work too. So I shut the lid and placed it on the table next to the stack of paper reaching for her hand so that I could pull her down onto my lap. "And what did you think?"

She arranged herself in my lap keeping my her hand in mine, using the silence to evilly stretch out my pain. "I feel bad for your editor."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I pretend to be completely offended, but she's not wrong I feel bad for my editor from time to time.

She laughs, "I can tell when you got all caught up in trying to get the story out, the number of typos sky rockets."

I kiss her cheek, "Well I pay her a lot of money to put up with it so she'll survive. What did you think though, seriously?"

She sighs stringing my pain out just a little bit longer. "Well let's see…"

"You're killing me Kate," I groan.

"It was my favorite one yet." She smiles heart stoppingly and suddenly I regretting her being in my lap because she deserves the whole nine yards with me on one knee with flowers and candles everywhere. "I love how good Rook is for her. It reminds me that you're good for me. Even when you drive me nuts."

Oh man's she's t-ing it up perfectly for me I just have to get the words out. "You're good for me too Kate. I have no idea what I would do without you."

She smiles and settles into me, "Probably steal more police horses without your clothes."

"Hush we're being sappy here."

"Sorry go on."

"Kate I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She pressed as kiss to my neck soft and loving and as soon as that ring was on her finger I was hauling her into the bedroom, "Kate will you…"

Suddenly her phone blasted from her pocket, "Shit." She jumps at the vibration, "Sorry. Castle I'm so sorry, keep going…" she's obviously not an idiot she knew where I was going with this.

"Nope, moment's over. Answer the phone," It's still ringing, "we'll come back to this later."

She grimaces, genuinely sorry, as she fishes the offending device from her pocket. "Beckett," she answers climbing out of my lap so that she can find somewhere to write the address of the latest crime scene.

Hanging up the phone, she looks at me almost a little heartbroken, "Are you sure?" She wants me to finish but I want the whole moment and suddenly the words sitting on the computer seem absolutely perfect.

"Yeah I'm sure." I nod climbing out of my chair, "So where are we headed?

"58th and Lex." She steps in and kisses me, "When you do ask, don't worry about the answer."

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><p><strong>Tell me your smiling or that you mentally threw Beckett's phone at the wall, either way.<br>**

**Hope for lots and lots of rain for the rocky mountain west other wise it might actually all burn down.**

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	91. Is Anybody Out There

**So as we come into the last ten of these I thought I'd share a fun fact with ever chapter. Today's fact is that I never saved a single one of these to my computer everything is out in the internet cloud via email generally.  
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><p><span>Is anybody out there? – Pink Floyd<span>

"Good evening everyone!" I called by way of greeting as I let myself into the loft in theory just in time to catch desert with Richard and Alexis, and possibly Kate. What I didn't expect to find just Kate sitting at the counter filling out what looked like a pile of paperwork.

"Martha! We weren't expecting you." She looks like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, as she scrambled to clean up her paper work. "Sorry Castle went to get ice cream and I was just trying to get caught up on some of my paperwork while it was quiet."

"Kate dear you don't have to pack up, stay work. I thought I join for dessert, and it sounds like I'm in plenty of time. Where's Alexis?"

Kate settles back into her chair still looking mildly nervous for someone that spends her days dealing with murderers. "She went to meet some friends for a movie, whole last summer before they go off to college thing." She smiles softly, "Castle's having rough time with it so the two flavors of ice cream in the freezer aren't enough."

Oh my son, the wonderful man that he is, completely heart broken over his little girl growing up. "He'll be alright dear, he just has to wrap his head around her growing up."

She laughs a little, "I feel like I've been talking him through it since the day I meet him."

Pulling the open bottle of wine from the fridge I pour myself a glass, "He's not going to be any better with your children."

The pen she's been twirling absent mindedly freezes, "I think it's a little early to talk about that."

"Oh nonsense and you know it." I can see the flush of embarrassment crawling up her skin. "Let me tell you something. Richard has never been a many of particularly long attention spans, aside from his daughter you are the only person he has ever been focused on for so long."

She bites her lip but doesn't look away. "I know you see that Kate, he follows you into danger everyday and it's not just for the story anymore."

She takes a deep calming breath. "I do see it," she nods her head, "and I've always known from the moment we started this that this was it… sometimes it all feels very fast."

"Kate…" I reach over and rest my hand on hers, "He's the only man that I've ever been able to count on so when he says he wants you, that he loves you, it's not just a fleeting notion for him."

Her tears are glistening softly, as though the notion of this is still so new to her that she really doesn't know how to handle it. "I know, it's just hearing it from someone else makes it very real."

"You love him?" It's a stupid question I know, but she nods in confirmation. "Then don't worry about the rest of us giving you a hard time."

She's opening her mouth to speak when the front door opens, "I'm back and I got 10 more flavors. Mother? What are you doing home? We weren't expecting you until the sun starts creeping over the horizon in the morning."

"Well I was going to join you all for dessert but clearly my presence isn't needed. Good night dears." I grab my wine and start up the stairs. Below I can practically hear Kate's eye roll when she asks why he needed 10 flavors and his justification that they're the little Ben and Jerry's so they won't take up as much room.

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><p><strong>If you haven't noticed they changed the site again so leave me a comment (?) (This change befuddles me I think it's probably good but weird as of right now)<strong>

**9 more...  
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**Babyrose  
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	92. Are You Happy Now

**It's Friday! This means my best friend arrives today *Happy Dancing* Fun fact of the day will of course be relate to her: Our friendship started because of TV (and being roommates) we both watched Bones. And then she got me into Fringe and I got her into Castle and then we got each other into a whole mess of other shows. As she said I'm responsible for at least 40% of her fan girling.  
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><p><span>Are You Happy Now? – Michelle Branch<span>

"Are you happy now?" She whispered in my ear as we spun slowly around the dance floor.

"Yeah I suppose I am."

Which earns me a gentle chuckle, as her fingers slip through my hair, "You were being ridiculous this morning."

"Can't help it she's my little girl," I whine, "It's her wedding I'm allowed to be a little emotional."

"Which is why you were crying more than anyone else here," sarcasm laces her words, to accompany the smile that I can feel against my cheek.

I squeeze her waist, "Ok, now you just being mean."

"You love me anyway," she says light and sing songy

"I love you in spite of it," I laugh.

We're quiet for a while a swaying out of time with the too fast music, but we're the old folks on the corner of the floor and no one really cares about us. She laughs a little to herself and pulls back enough to look me in the eye, "You know you've managed to get your own perfectly constructed Castle family. A forensic pathologist, a graphic artist, and a cop for kids."

I wiggle my eye brows mischievously, "I know and just think of what the grand kids will be like."

Shakes her head with the infamous eye roll, "Oh you be careful Kimberly is threatening to be a lawyer and Justin wants to play professional hockey."

"Both of which provide a plethora of story ideas," I assure her.

"Always the writer."

"Just the way you like me, my very logical cop"

"Well someone has to keep you grounded," She assures me.

"A remarkable job you've done of it too."

"Well thank you," she nods, "it's not an easy task."

We're quiet for a minute and I notice the new slower song that has taken over. "This is our wedding song," memories swamping me rather suddenly remembering taking her out onto the dance floor for our first dance as husband and wife.

Tears glisten in her eyes as she nods "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice."

"What did Tori do?" Our darling little girl, precocious from the moment she opened her eyes.

"She asked Alexis."

"Smart girl," I say with a wisp of sadness.

"Sweet Girl…" She grins so happily just like the day she did when Tori was born, as we look over at our daughter, just as tall and beautiful in the dress her mother wore, "We did good Castle."

"We did really good," I assure her, pressing a kiss to her temple, as she looks around the room. The two oldest grandkids talking with some of their cousins while Nate and Kelly are sitting with their toddler at one of the tables and Alexis and Carson are chatting happily with some of Elijah's college classmates. It's really a beautiful picture.

"They all look happy," she says wistfully. "I never thought I'd end up with a big happy family."

"I'm glad we did."

"Me too"

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><p><strong>Old people happy and in love makes me super happy.<strong>

**Babyrose.  
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	93. Heart of the Night

**Fun fact of they day: I am going to put these in chronological order when I'm done so you can read them in order and get the entire picture again.  
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><p><span>Heart of the Night - Lady Antebellum<span>

"Castle… Castle…" She's hissing for the other side of the bed.

"What?" I reach out to wrap an arm around her waist, and bring her to me.

"Not that." She bats me away, "wake up. Put some shorts on."

"Kateee… it's the middle of the night if you don't want that then what do you want?" I groan tucking my face back into the pillow.

A pair of shorts landed on my head, "Come on. I'll be outside when you feel like joining." And with that her presence disappeared.

Why in the hell did I marry someone that needs only 4 hours of sleep on a regular basis, even without caffeine? Groaning again, I sit up in the over sized bed and tug the shorts off my head so that I could hop into them as I followed her out onto the teak deck that ran into the beach.

Leaning against the railing in nothing but her nightie, was my gorgeous wife her head tilted up to the sky so that her hair cascaded down her back as she took in the thousands of sparkling stars. Crossing to her, I wrapped my arm around her soft waist and ducked my head to lave the exposed line of her collarbone.

Her fingers carded into my hair, and on a sigh, she tugged my head up. "Look at the stars."

Following her gaze, I looked up at the sky to see millions upon millions of stars twinkling back at me. "There are so many," comes out of my mouth, clearly I was still mostly asleep.

But she wasn't even the least bit bothered, "I don't think I've ever seen so many."

"Well that's what happens when you go to a remote part of the world without street lights." She's still looking up at them, her face reflecting the wonder in her voice.

She tipped her head forehead so that our eyes meet, "Thank you Rick. This is wonderful."

"Anything for you Kate, you know that." I lean in and capture her lips in a soft kiss.

She follows my lips when I pull away going for another kiss. "I know but I don't say it enough."

"Kate you let me do these things that's enough." I assure her closing my eyes and breathing her in, "Can we go back to bed."

"I want to look at the stars a little longer." She slipped her fingers through my hair in a soothing motion.

"Ok." I kissed her check and then started back to the bedroom only to have her snag my wrist.

"I'll make it worth your while if you stay." She said with a sultry undertone.

I cocked my eyebrow, "What are we talking?"

"Skinny dipping." She dropped my wrist so that she could grab the hem of the scrap of fabric she was wearing and pulled it overhead.

"So why'd you make me put on shorts?" I whine even as I push them off my hips.

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><p><strong>Following up on my fact where in the order do you think this falls?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	94. Shelter From the Storm

**Best friend was here in person... Kinda of wonderfully awesome. Anyway... I'm leaving on vacation this afternoon and not taking my computer with me so there will be a delay in post the last 7 chapters. But they will be all done when I get back and hopefully I'll have the contemplation edited so that will be ready to go. This is mildly unrealistic...  
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**Fun fact for this chapter I am excellent at picking up details and fun facts, deeper knowledge of things however isn't so great, which is why I didn't go into sciences but to the anon who freaked over the my inaccurate crime scene chill this is fiction based on fiction. If the show breaks the rules the fan fiction certainly is going to.  
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><p><span>Shelter from the Storm – Bob Dylan<span>

To hear about Detective Kate Beckett and Rick Castle you have to be in the precinct for about five minutes. They are the unusual partnership that seems to have a remarkable close rate. And according to the bureau's jacket they're always the ones that seem to end up in the middle of an inte-ragency nightmare.

It also takes about two seconds after spotting their rings that those are really only a physically manifestation of what ties them together. Watching them work is a treat and bizarre all at once. He challenges her, makes her think outside the box. She keeps him grounded, forces him to focus.

But when it comes down to it there each other's solid place when the rest of the world is going haywire she just have to look behind her and he's right on her tail wearing his writer vest taking in every detail.

That's all well in good, and they manage to keep it together until she guns down the man responsible for this whole mess. The swat team swarms in and that's when she reaches for him it's not a full body crashing into him. She just takes his hand in hers, and holds it for a minute. It's some sort of silent communication that you see on TV but rarely ever witness in real life.

It's a beautiful thing. The more interesting thing is that the entire precinct doesn't even bat an eye at it, like it must be completely normal. I ask a uniform about them when I'm packing up. She just shrugs, she has no idea when they started sleeping together just that they go married a year ago and she's heard rumors that the detect is pregnant but other than that since the day he showed up in the precinct it's been assumed where she goes he follows that was seven years ago.

The writer and his muse fighting crime. Attracting nearly as much trouble in that time but almost always solving it. So the note goes in the file in the file and every agency would see it. Where she goes he follows. He's just as crucial to the team as she is. I can only hope that the next guy that comes in doesn't try and throw him out like every one before him because you'll just end up wasting half a day while they try and get him back.

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><p><strong>To my American Readers Happy 4th of July! I hope there are fireworks where you're going to be to make up for the fact that mine got canceled due to fire danger.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	95. Take Me Away

***Waves Enthusiastically* Hi guys. Sorry for the delay but I wanted to get this one right so I've been fussing with it for pretty much a week.  
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**Fun fact: **It was Comic Con this weekend and I have renewed my promise to make it there one day.**  
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><p><span>Take Me Away – Avril Lavgine<span>

The knock was sharp against his door. I didn't care. I was annoyed, the sound echoed my feelings. The door swung open just as I was going to knock again. "Kate, what are you going here?"

"What the hell Castle!" I snapped striding past him into the loft, tugging off my jacket and throwing it over the couch. "You just left. You didn't even say anything you just went home. What the hell Castle?"

He closed the door carefully turning around to face me. "It seemed like the best thing you were already annoyed with me and then that guy called you wife number three which pissed you off more."

"Without telling me?" I spit out, frustrated that him leaving annoys me more than anything else and yet and I can't get passed it.

He folds his arms carefully across his chest, even as he walks towards me. "Well you were busy getting reamed by Gates and you'd just told me that I was smothering you. I just figured that some space would be good."

He's not wrong and I appreciate the gesture looking back at it, but it was just so uncharacteristic. He's the man that stays and bugs you until you physically throw him out, and this time he did exactly what I needed him to and that had freaked me out even more.

Collapsing against the back of the couch I ran my hand through my hair sighing, "God, why is this so hard?"

I lift my eyes to find him looking at me, slowly stepping closer. "We're trying too hard."

He's right, I can feel it in my gut and I don't know what to do about it. "This is one of those things that normally I come up against and I don't push through because it's not worth it."

He freezes a foot from me, panic washing across his face, "Is this worth it?"

"You have to stop touching me constantly at work and telling me that I can't go places and pushing me to talk to people in the book world that I'm not ready to talk to and I can't be wondering if your just not going to be there when it gets hard."

"The wife number three comment?"

I pull my lip between my teeth, nervous gesture that I've never been able to break, and I know that it drives him nuts. "Yeah…"

He does come closer now relaxing just a little bit, "I don't want to mess this up. I don't want you to be just wife number three. I want you to be the one that lasts. The one makes all the other mistakes worth it because they led to you." His eyes are pleading and desperate and he reaches out a hand to wrap around my arm.

Lifting my own hand I cover his, swiping my thumb over his knuckles, soothing both our frazzled nerves. "I love you. You the writer, the little boy that believes in ghosts, ninjas, and zombies. The guy that weaves crazy theories that have a propensity to have just a touch of truth in them. You the guy that hovers and drives me crazy. You the guy that brings me coffee every morning, and does silly things just to make me laugh."

He's smiling just a little bit now, even as I plunge onward. "The idea of being wife number three terrifies me not just because it speaks to your record. But because there's so much truth to the statement." His breath hiccups, and his fingers tighten on my arm. "You've done this too many times and are nervous about it, and I've never done it so I'm nervous about."

We're quiet again and I let my body cant forward into his so that I can rest my head on his chest and just listen to his heartbeat. "We're not there yet," his voice is gruff with emotion even as his fingers slide into my hair holding my head to him. "We have plenty of time to figure out how this works. How we work together as more than just partners, how to tell the boys and Gates, make everything official before we even consider anything else."

There he is, my wonderful man. Standing up so that we're pressed together, lifting my eyes to his. "That is actually why I'm here. Gates knows."

Even as his arms go around my waist he pulls back just a bit, "No way."

"She kicked me out for the weekend." I smile, "Said I needed to go work on my partnership, get worked out so that it didn't interfere with my work."

He laughs, beautifully and completely carefree, rolling through both of us. "I have to give her more respect for not just kicking me out."

"I think she likes you."

He shakes his head, "She likes you and you've made it clear that I come with you so she tolerates me."

I lean over capturing his lips softly, before resting my forehead against him. "Take me away this weekend Castle and we can work on our partnership."

"We'll go to the Hamptons," he says decisively. His hands are ghosting across my skin under my shirt leaving a trail of goose bumps, "In the morning."

"In the morning." I agree, slipping from his grasp to round the couch and head for the bedroom.

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><p><strong>Way over the word count and definitely inspire by recent dribble of inspiration we've been getting. Also if you were unaware Castle photo shoot is on Monday and filming begins Tuesday... Season five is so close.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	96. Goodnight and Goodbye

**Fun fact: If you haven't notice yet I have a weird itunes. Bonus fact for the day filming starts tomorrow.**

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><p><span>Goodnight and Goodbye – Jonas Brothers<span>

"Goodnight sweetie. I love you," he whispers into the receiver of his phone. I can't hear what she's saying on the other side but the general tone of conversation strikes me as Alexis is doing much better with this than he is. "Yeah we can do lunch later this week. I want to hear all about your roommate and classes."

I lean against the doorway to his office, and just study him, huddling into the brown leather of the armchair. Only light in the room seeping through from the bedside light I'd had on in the bedroom, and light filtering in from the kitchen. I can't see his face but I know his eyes are closed as he listens to the excited babble of his daughter. "Go hang out with your floor, Alexis. I'm fine." His hand scrubs through his hair, "Yes Kate is here with me…Ok I'll tell her… I love you." He lifts the phone away from his ear ending the call before letting his hand fall into his lap in emotional exhaustion.

I give him just a moment before padding across the room so that I could wrap my arms around his shoulders, my hands clasping on his chest. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head even as his hands come up to cover mine. "You gonna be ok?" I finally ask.

He inhales deeply, presumably to stem the tears, before answering. "I don't know what I would do if she'd gone to school any further away."

"You would have let her go, if that's what she wanted, because you are an excellent father who loves his little girl so much."

He chuckles, "I probably would have locked her in her room and never let her see the light of day again."

I grin, "Or you'd do that."

"She asked if you were here," he said quietly.

"I heard that." I come around the back of the chair, letting my fingertips trail down his arm, as I came to face him. Leaning forward I wiped away a stray tear on his cheek and he leaned into my hand.

"She said to let you take care of me." He's placing not just his trust in me but also his daughters in me.

My breath stutters, but I don't say anything, I can't say anything. All I can do is lean forward and capture his lips. Softly trying to convey everything that he means to me, that they mean to me in that one moment. Disengaging I lean my forehead against his, "I love you."

His eyes are closed and he doesn't say anything for a long moment before he opens them revealing them to be darker than I'd ever seen them brimming with unshed tears. I give him just that moment before pulling back, grabbing his hand. "First things first though." I tugged him upright, "We need ice cream, and I believe someone still has at least six flavors that need testing in the freezer."

He smiles, and doesn't let me get two steps before catching me around the waist and burying his head in the crook of my neck holding on hard for a second. "Thank you," is expelled against my neck and then he's releasing me with a sad smile, "Definitely time for ice cream."

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><p><strong>Thoughts? They made the box super accessible so it's super easy now.<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	97. Glitter in the Air

**There was a Castle Confession wishing for a Christmas episode and I'd been trying to figure out how to do this for a while and then it just clicked.  
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**Fun Fact: this is one most of you will agree with but if my real life love story could be like theirs I'd be pretty happy. Although I'm not sure I'd survive being flung off a roof, the other stuff sure but not the roof.  
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><p><span>Glitter in the Air – P!nk<span>

"What are you doing?" Nate hissed in my ear causing me to jump.

"Shhhhhhh…" I turn back to him. "I'm waiting for Mommy and Daddy to go to bed so that I can wait for Santa. Why are you awake?"

"I'm excited!" He smiles sitting next to me on the stairs so that we can both look down at the living room. "What are they doing?" His nose is all wrinkly as he looks down at mommy and daddy.

"They're dancing." I sigh. Mommy looks so happy as Daddy spins her out across the living room before pulling her back in hugging her and giving her a big kiss. "Daddy already gave mommy a present."

"Why does she get a present early?" He asks loudly.

"Shhhhh…" I hit him. I don't want to be sent back to bed. "Because it's extra special." For being my big brother he isn't very smart sometimes.

We watch them for a little bit longer, "Are they gonna go to bed yet? Santa can't come until they go to bed." He leans forward trying to see more of the living room.

Like Mommy can hear us she pulls away from Daddy, "Alright guys you can come downstairs now." Mommy doesn't sound mad, but we're both supposed to be in bed asleep. So neither of us move we freeze hoping that she doesn't see us. Then she's standing at the bottom stairs looking up at us, "Well? Do you want to want for Santa there or on the couch?"

"Couch." We say together starting down the stairs.

"That's what I thought." She smiles at us happily. "You both have to sleep on the couch though so that Santa has somewhere to sit and take a break when he gets here."

Daddy scoops me up spinning around before plunking me down the end of the couch laying the blanket over me as mommy tucks Nate in at the other end. "Ok guys you have to pretend to be sleeping otherwise Santa won't come." Daddy says very seriously before giving me a big kiss, "Merry Christmas Tori."

"Merry Christmas Daddy." I tell him and he smiles before going to Nate and giving him a goodnight kiss too.

"Merry Christmas Sweet pea," Mommy whispers with her kiss before following Daddy into their bedroom. It's really hard to stay awake and have your eyes closed is the last thing that I think before I hear a noise.

My eyes open fast to look at the tree. There are hundreds of presents under it all the sudden. I must have fallen asleep and missed him. Then I hear the noise again, turning my head super slowly so that he doesn't notice I'm awake I look over at the big chair. And Santa is sitting in the in it eating the cookies that Nate and I left for him. "Santa?" I ask forgetting that I'm supposed to be asleep.

He smiles, at least I think he smiles it's hard to tell because of his beard, "Why Miss Tori you're supposed to be asleep."

"I was!" I sit up, "You woke me up."

"Ho, ho, ho." He laughs, and Nate rolls over but doesn't wake up. "I suppose it's my fault then. I'm sorry." He stands up coming around the table, he's so big. "Let's get you tucked back in so that I can go to my next house."

Bending down he gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then he waits for me to lay back down pulling the blanket up over me again. "Merry Christmas Tori."

"Merry Christmas Santa." I whisper back trying to keep my eyes open so that I can see him leave but I'm very sleepy and the last thing I saw was him picking up his bag of toys.

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><p><strong>Santa is as real as you want him to be. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.<strong>

**Are you guys ok out there? You've been mysteriously quiet. Only three more to go.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	98. Loud Music

**Fun Fact: I'm a one shot type of person even if I have a big story line the chapters stand alone. I think fanfiction works well for that.**

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><p><span>Loud Music – Michelle Branch<span>

You know what's intimidating? Your girlfriend's father cornering you at a small party to just _chat real quick_. Don't get me wrong, I like Jim a lot. Generally, it feels like we're on the same side, but somehow that is not the feeling that I'm getting as he steers me into the corner of the living room even as the rest of the party is standing in the kitchen listening to Martha regale them with some story or another.

It's Kate's birthday, and while she insisted that we not do anything special I'd invited everyone over for dinner and cake. And Kate had actually smiled when I'd opened the door to everyone standing in the living room with goofy party hats on. Now this all feels like a big mistake if means that I have to have a chat with the girlfriend's dad. I feel like I'm fifteen again. I'm in my forties he really shouldn't set me this on edge.

Deep breath, "How's it going Jim?" I'm going for jovial, despite the fact that my hands are super sweaty, I feel like its prom night again.

He smiles, and I feel like he knows he has me on edge. "Everything is going really well. This is a nice shindig."

"She didn't want to celebrate at all. But dinner and cake with friends I figured that was normal enough..." and it was based on her smile as my mother regaled the group with a story, which particular one I'm not sure I care to know.

I can hear Jim chuckle next to me, and I have to tear my eyes away from my muse to look at her father. "This is exactly what she needed Rick. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about"

I swallow, "What exactly was that?"

"Katie, she's stubborn… well you know that. Heck evidence points to you being more stubborn than she is." He takes a sip of the coke that he's been nursing since we got here, "I just wanted to tell you that you're good for her. Since her mom she hasn't really let herself be happy, until you showed up to annoy her on a regular basis."

I scoff, "Annoy her?"

"Her words not mine." Jim laughs at me, "Relax Rick, I know you're going to marry her. I probably knew before either of you."

"You are apparently omnipotent then," I smile the tension flowing out of my shoulders.

He shakes his head. "She's so much like her mother, stubborn to the end but the minute she laughed when she told a story about you without me asking about work or you I knew that was it."

I can see the memory he's talking about swimming behind his eyes and I'm dying to know when this was. "When was that?" I try for nonchalant.

"Not on your life, I have to save something for the reception speech." He winks, he actually winks at me. "Any way, what I wanted to talk to you about was the ring." He shifts his weight, uncomfortably.

The box hiding in the carved out copy of_ In A Hail of Bullets _flashes into my mind, "Oh. I already bought one." I suddenly realize that maybe he wanted me to use Johanna's but there's so much pain and history wrapped up in that ring that I didn't want to bring to the floor with the idea.

Much to my surprise Jim looks relieved, "Oh good. She's been carrying her mom's ring around for too long. She needs something that's just hers with good memories, with happy memories."

"Do you want to see it?" I ask. I haven't shown it to anyone yet, I've only had it six months and I'm still waiting for the right moment, but it seems like Jim would be the person to show it too.

He shakes his head, "Nah. I'd rather see it when she has it on her finger. Any idea when that'll be?" He's staring me down, trying to make me sweat.

And it works, I fumble. "Well I ah… I'm waiting for the right… I just haven't…"

"What are you boys doing over there?" Kate, wonderful Kate, calls across the room saving me.

"Just giving him a hard time Katie, nothing to worry about." Her dad answers before I get the chance though.

"Give him hell Dad." She laughs and turns back to my mother, abandoning me to her father.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? Two more<strong>

**It's been a couple of really slow days a work so all I've done is obsesses over Castle stuff and edit the compilation.  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	99. Look After You

**I adopted a pair of kittens this weekend :) They're disgustingly cute.**

**Fun Fact: This is the last one written. The 100th chapter has been done for 2 months.  
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><p><span>Look After You – The Fray<span>

She was glorious. Skin glowing against the deep brown of my sheets as her hair tumbled across her back, the golden low lights catching the early light just perfectly. Her whole body lifting and falling with each breath even as she snuggled into the pillow.

I couldn't help myself as I reached out a finger and lightly followed the curve of her spine. "I should get ready for work…" I could hear the exhaustion in her voice, even as she said it. We'd been working a case too hard for the last week and had celebrated closing it a little vigorously when we'd gotten so I knew she was tired.

"Play hooky with me …" I suggested, followed by a kiss to her shoulder blade.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" I can hear the smile in her voice as she flips her head on the pillow cracking one eye open to look at me.

I pretended to think about it for just a moment, "Would I like to spend the day with you doing not one case related thing?" I shifted a little bit closer to her to kiss her cheek, hovering over her ear. "Yeah I'd like that. Even if that means we just sleep and try and make up for lost hours."

"There couldn't possibly be an ulterior motive?" She sounds amused and skeptical, one of my favorite versions of her.

She laughs at that, full bodied, and freely as she flops onto her her back. "Well maybe I should go to work, since someone didn't tire me out enough to play hooky." She blinks up at me the very picture of innocence, daring me to do something.

"So this is my fault?" I quirk an eyebrow at her, she shrugs with a little smile in response. "I can certainly change that."

She sighs now looking a little upset, "I really should go to work."

Lowering my head to the crook of her neck, I kissed the delicate spot there, before moving my way up to her ear. "Stay Kate. Let me take care of you."

She shook her head just a little bit before capturing my lips in an apologetic kiss, "I should go. But you stay here and catch up on your sleep." Then she was slipping out of bed and over towards the dresser where her phone was.

Picking it up she turned around to study me, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth, fully aware of what that does to me. Then with a small smile, she lifted the phone to her ear never taking her eyes off me. "Captain, its Detective Beckett… I just wanted to let you know that I won't be in today… I'll let him know… Yes sir… See you tomorrow."

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face as she hung up the phone and crossed to me. "Captain Gates would like you to know that since I won't be going into today your presence isn't needed at the precinct."

"Is that so?" I asked looping my arms around her waist.

Kate laughed, coming in for a kiss. "Play hooky with me Castle," she breathed and then she sealed her lips over mine.

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><p><strong>There it is the penultimate chapter... What were your thoughts?<strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	100. Stop and Stare

**This it. The end of the line for my magical Castle-verse that I created and I'm completely attached to it. Fun Fact for this final chapter is that this story has been with me through some of the biggest life decisions I've ever made. It's been my constant for the last four months and that's mostly because of you guys so thank you!**

**If you didn't know the song that the end of the pilot _Flowers for Your Grave _is _Stop and Stare _by One Republic and it seemed appropriate to end with it.**

* * *

><p><span>Stop and Stare - One Republic<span>

There's a soft swell of conversation on the roof top. It's bound to happen when you get 80 people together and then make them wait for the event to start. But the music starts up before I know it and Ryan is guiding my mother down the aisle showing her to her seat before standing to my side, and then Alexis, in a floaty purple dress follows, with Esposito grinning like an idiot on her arm until they reach us. Alexis comes to stand next to me and Javi goes to stand on the opposite side, and then there's Lanie striding down the aisle so that she can stand next to Esposito across from me. Leaving just enough time for a conspiratorial wink before the music changes. The once chattery crowds goes silent and stands, but none of that matters because standing at the end of the aisle is Jim with the vision that is Kate.

Beautiful. Stunning. Extraordinary. Brilliant. Amazing. Gorgeous.

Kate.

I can't see anything else, just her in this gown that fits her like a glove. Lace wrapping her up and flaring out at the knee. Her skin set on fire by the ivory, glowing, sparkling, radiating… none of those are enough. The hair I love so much is swept off to the side with something sparkly that only adds to her overall shimmer. But the thing that stops my heart is the smile she's wearing. It's so heart breakingly wonderful because I know that it's there for me.

Before I can get myself together, she's standing in front of me one of her soft thumbs swiping across my cheekbone as she collects the tears that escaped without my knowledge. I can't help myself I press a kiss to her hand before the officiant is guiding us through the ceremony.

It's a ceremony that I wrote, with her editing and I don't hear a word of it. The officiant actually has to nudge me to get me to say the vows I prepared, earning a magical chuckle from her. Before I can really process it though she's guiding the solid platinum band onto my finger, and I'm adding the sparkling one to her finger. Interlocking it with the engagement ring she'd refused to take off.

And then it's over and he's stepping back so that I can step in and wrap my arm around her waist my brain only briefly registering that it's mostly bare skin, before her hand is coming up to cup my cheek and she kisses me just once softly, and then I'm following her mouth as she pulls back for just one more.

Before I know it the officiant is clearing his throat, and she's pulling away with the most dazzling smile on her face. Her hand wraps around mine as the other reclaims her flowers, and I lift the hand I have a press another kiss to it. The crowd is standing again when we turn to face them looking just as teary as I feel and then the officiant says what I've been waiting hear, "Ladies and gentlemen I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle."

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><p><strong>I really hope that I'm not the only one all teary over this. There will be one last update for this story and it will be a master document of all of all of the fleeting fictions in order.<strong>

**Thank you for reading.  
><strong>

**Your Humble Author,  
><strong>

**Babyrose  
><strong>


	101. Flashes of Future

**Here it is the complete compilation in chronological order. It's over 50,000 words just so you know. Thank you for reading!**

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Flashes of Future<span>_  
><strong>

**Emotionless – Good Charlotte**

I'm surprised by the knock on the door at well past midnight, but it doesn't stop me from going to open it. I'm desperate for company and yet in no fit state for it. The blonde, Sarah? Kelly? I don't remember, left hours ago when it became obvious to her that there was no actual potential in dating me.  
>What I'm not expecting is to find Detective Beckett on the other side of the door, in a floor length black gown. She must have come straight from the undercover recon operation she was going on, the one that I'd blown off in favor of, Jessica? But what did she care she was going with that English guy, and he'd shown interest in her, and I'd watched her flirt back. Just another sign that I'd missed in the last nine months.<p>

"Beckett, what are you doing here?" I do my best to keep my face, my body language, my voice, emotionless as I open the door for her.

"Castle what happened?" She asked sounding desperate, for reasons unbeknownst to me.

"What do mean what happened you were the one that went on the stakeout you tell me what happened?" I can't help the snark that's crept into my voice.

"Rick…" it really is desperate now, "we were doing fine and now… what happened?"

So she's noticed, and she's doing something about it. None of this jives with the theories I've been spinning in my head. "Kate," I'm doing my best to keep the emotion out of my voice, but it's breaking through and for the first time since the observation room I feel something other than angry, "you lied."

She's taken aback by that, "I lied?"

"Instead of just telling me you didn't feel the same and letting both of us move on with our lives, you let me think that there was a chance. If I just let you work some stuff out, there was a chance..."

She's blinking at me, and I can tell that she's caught on because she puts a hand on her hip and takes a deep breath. "Richard Castle are you really that blind?" It's my turn to feel desperate trying to find somewhere in the conversation to hold onto, but she doesn't even let me get a word in. "You think I didn't tell you I heard you to give you an out? Did it ever occur to you that it might have been because I feel the same way. That maybe I just wasn't ready at the time?"

She's giving me that same look she has for suspects when she just doesn't believe them, and I fail to say anything as a result. "You know what Castle spend more time with Carly I'm sure you are perfect for each other. I'll work on not caring." Then she's leaving in a swirl of black fabric.

I do the only thing I can think of and grab her wrist, "You didn't tell me because you didn't know how to say…"

"How to say it back," she finishes, and I can hear the tears in her voice as she's leaving.

**Shoulda – Hinder**

"I love you."

That's all she said, when I opened the door. She was wringing her hands but she didn't take her eyes off of me. "I'm sorry?" I managed to ask since it appeared that my brain couldn't keep up with her.

She huffed just a little bit and said it again. "I love you." I didn't know where to go with that and apparently neither did she because we just stood there looking at each other for a moment. "I should have told you," she broke the silence.

"That you love me?" My heart was beating too fast, and my brain was working too slowly in comparison.

"That I heard you." She's wringing her hands again.

"Oh." This was not what I expected happen after the last few weeks, we'd fought last week so she knew that I'd found out. Ever since we'd been really careful around each other, mostly I just avoided her _shadowing_ Ryan and Esposito instead.

Kicking my brain into gear I stepped back from the door, making room for her to come inside. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside the door waiting for me to close it, and then she followed me to the kitchen perching on a bar stool as I went mechanically through the motions of making coffee.

"I wish I had an explanation for you," she started slowly, "I had all these reason… all these silly reasons that made sense before you knew and … they don't make any sense... and now they're all these silly reason that mean I'm going to lose you."

I hear the sobs between the phrases, the tight control she has on her tears, and I have to turn around. "Kate…" I try and get her to stop talking but she seems to be on a roll.

"I'm sorry Rick… I'm sorry. It wasn't fair for me to live for a year knowing that you loved me and you not to know how I felt about you… Knowing you did love me was the only solid thing I had to hang onto some days…" She pulled in a deep breath, steeling herself, "Anyway, I'll go but I thought you deserved to know that I love you… that I'm in love with you… and that I'm sorry."

And then she was standing and making her way to the door while my brain caught up, "Kate!" I managed to call just as she laid her hand on the door knob, and I jogged over to her, "You love me?"

Her eyes went wide, "So much."

I stepped closer, a hand coming to rest on her hip. "And I love you…" she bit her lip but didn't say anything, "so can that be what matters?" I asked.

She's starting to smile, and look just a little relieved. "Please?" slips from her lips.

I step closer so that our chests are touching, and she's backed up against the door. "Anything for you Kate."

She's the one that closes the distance.

**Strip Me – Natasha Bedingfield**

She's already undoing the buttons to her shirt when I turn around. Coming close to her I catch her hands with mine as I lean in and kiss her. She tastes like the coffee we just finished, with just a hint of something that is uniquely Kate, as my lips skate over hers. "Don't you think I might wanna do that this time?" I ask as my fingers take over the task of revealing her of skin button by button.

"I suppose that would be an option," she hums softly walking back toward my bed with her shirt hanging open exposing her beautiful skin, unbroken except for by the scar hidden under the pale pink of the bra she's wearing. And then she's crawling back onto my bed and laying down against the pillow. "Are you coming?" You can hear the amusement that sparkles in her eyes in her voice.

"Just taking it all in," I tell her. And I am, the way she's laying in the middle of my bed like it's already her own, her hair shimmering against the brown of the pillows, and the look of need and love in her eyes as she watches me watching her.

"Castle," falls from her lips, dripping in lust and I can't just watch anymore I have to go to her. Suspending myself above her, still trying to wrap my mind around everything that has happened in the last hour that has led to this.

"You're gorgeous," I tell her. She decides that the time for talking has passed and she lifts her head up off the pillows wrapping her arms around my shoulders so that she can kiss me, running her tongue along the seam of my lips begging of entrance, which I'm helpless to deny her.

I manage to free her of her shirt before lowering us both back down onto the bed and I can feel her lithe fingers slipping the buttons of my shirt through their holes even as I get her bra off and move down her body pressing kisses to the freshly exposed skin.

Her fingers abandon my shirt, coming up to thread their way into my hair, until I come to her scar. And then she freezes as I pause before pressing a kiss to it, "Castle you don't…"

I don't know what she's trying to tell me, but it doesn't matter, "Kate this scar," my fingers caress the skin, "is a mark of how strong you are, how extraordinary you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different."

My eyes are boring into hers and I expect her to look away, but she surprises me again, "I love you." And that was the moment I fell over the edge and there was no coming back, the moment when I realized that not only was she it for me, but I was it for her. My charm and her one and done.

**Let Love In – The Goo Goo Dolls**

I opened my eyes to Kate sitting in the bed next to me, at some point in the night she'd found a t-shirt of mine and thrown it on. She was leaning against the headboard, with the bedside light on reading something in her lap.

Under the covers I reached across the bed to ghost along her long legs, which I was grateful to find that she had left bare under the comforter. "Hey," I managed to rasp, drawing her attention.

She looked over at me, with a soft content smile. "Hey," she replied, reaching over to run her fingers through my hair, a move that seemed so practiced you wouldn't believe that it was the first time she'd ever done it.

Wiggling closer I wrapped my arm around her waist under the t-shirt. "What are you reading?" I asked, pulling in a deep breath of cherry filled air as my eyes drifted closed and her hand continued to slip through my hair.

"Your manuscript," she hummed.

"Where'd you find it?"

"On the desk."

"It's not finished yet."

"I figured," she told me as I heard the pages dropping to the floor before she slid down next to me, my arm pushing up the t-shirt as she looked at me.

"So how does it end?" her breath ghosted over my face.

I opened my eyes to find her golden green ones looking at me, "How do you wanted it to end?"

"Really?" she smiled, her fingers tracing my jaw line, short light pink nails sending tingles through my skin.

"Really, what?"

"You're asking how I'd like it to end?"

"Well you are the inspiration for it." I tipped my head foreword to catch her lips in a kiss, pulling her closer.

"Happy," she swung a leg around my hip, "I don't care as long as it ends happily."

"No other requests?"

She shook her head, nose ghosting over my skin. "No, it doesn't matter as long as they don't end up in the hospital again."

"What if they end up in bed?"

She laughed softly, "That would be happy," and then she leaned in capturing my lips.

"I like waking up to you reading in my bed."

"I like waking up here."

"So we can make this a permanent thing?" I asked ghosting my hands along her skin, bunching the shirt she'd borrowed even further up.

"Me waking up here?" she asked as she rolled me onto my back and came to rest on the juncture of my hips. I could only nod as she pulled the t-shirt off and discarded it over the side of the bed. "Yeah I think we can make that a permanent thing."

**Realize – Colbie Caillat**

He's been a jerk, acting like a petulant little boy that didn't get his way, instead of dealing with it like an adult. He never really thought that there might be other reasons behind her own actions. He had just felt so broken himself that there was no way to try and rationalize what she'd done. Besides he's never been one to rationalize other peoples actions, he'd always been the one to over exaggerate rather than try and mitigate them.

He realizes that he should have given her a lot more credit as her fingers slip through his using him as an anchor, rather than running from the situation. He realizes that he really has no idea of just how much she loves him until this moment because instead of yelling at him, walking away, or anything that would signify that what he's done was as bad as it was, instead she's standing there threading her fingers through his.

She hasn't said anything though she's just watched and listened as he clicked through the board, showed her the miniscule amount of progress that he's made in the months he's been hiding it from her. And she's holding on. Even when he stops talking she doesn't say anything but she doesn't let go. So now it's his turn to wait, he got to act like a fifteen year old, she gets to be silent.

Only it doesn't last long, she's never been big with words everything he's learned about her has been coaxed from her with carefully place words of his own and an observant eye. But this time she talks. "You have to stop." That's all she says and he can't seem to form words to argue with her or to talk it out with her. He just has to wait her out.

"You're more important to me than this. You have to stop." It's like he's been hit by a freight train, he'd never expected it to go this way. When she got mad at him for getting hurt with Slaughter and he demand to know what it mattered to her, she'd hit him and told him of course he mattered. That had taken his breath away and when she'd broken down over him moving on and how she couldn't begin to explain how sorry she was for how he learned of her own secret.

But that one statement made it clear just how much he's been underestimating her, "Kate… I …"

"Rick, I don't want to hear it. I've spent a lot of time working on this trying to move forward and I can't guarantee that have completely. But there's one thing I do know."

"Kate…"

"I can't do it without you anymore. I have to let go of my mom's case, of my case if I ever want to move on and I can't let my past hold me back from my future. I can't let it keep me from you."

"Kate…" I try again.

"I love you and I'm not letting you go again, so we're going to have to let go of this. Can you do that much for me?"

I can only nod for a second. "As long as I get you," I finally tell her.

"Always," she answers.

**Sweet Dreams – Beyonce**

Skin against skin.  
>Breath against breath.<br>Fingers against fingers.  
>Lips against lips.<br>Teeth against teeth.  
>Lips against lips.<br>Skin against skin.

Whispered words.  
>Whispered promises.<br>Whispered declarations.  
>Whispered confessions.<br>Whispered needs.  
>Whispered words.<p>

Touches branding.  
>Pinpricks of fingertips.<br>Scrape of nails.  
>Hands grabbing.<br>Fingers tangling.  
>Touches branding.<p>

Lovers.  
>Writer and muse.<br>Detective and partner.  
>Woman and man.<br>Man and woman.  
>Optimist and realist.<br>Muse and Writer  
>Soul mates.<br>Lovers.

Muse against writer.  
>Careful against adventurous.<br>Light against solid.  
>Damaged against healed.<br>Angles against curves.  
>Edges against contours.<br>Inspiration against creator.  
>Muse against writer.<p>

Each others perfect.  
>Her one and done.<br>His charm.  
>Each others perfect.<p>

**Secret – Maroon 5**

She's pressed against my side, our skin sticky with the sweat of the first round of the morning, fingers tracing meaningless patterns on my chest. "Can we keep this between us for a while?" she asks softly.

I try not to overreact, "You mean keep it a secret?"

"No," she immediately answers, "I just… I don't need the whole precinct in this when we go back."

"So we're going back?" It's been a roller coaster few days but she's never really said anything more than I resigned. We didn't talk about it and I didn't push her on it. But I know that there was a phone call from the precinct at one point, but I didn't ask.

She seems like she's made a decision, or at least thought it out, "I think so…" She nods against my chest.

"And when we do you want to keep this quiet?" I ask, relaxing she's trying to figure out how to make both work.

"Just for a little while…" she confirms, "maybe until they figure it out?"

I chuckle softly, "Kate, they already think we're sleeping together and hiding it."

She presses a kiss to my chest, "Well then nothing has to change?"

"Yeah except now I'm positive I know what you look like naked, and where your tattoo is and the noise you make when I kiss right here…" I run my lips over the super sensitive spot under her ear.

"Castle…" she groans.

"Just proving a point."

"We need ground rules."

"And what sort of rules do you propose," I prompt.

"You can't look at me like you know what I look like naked."

"Not sure that's possible…"

"No love eyeballs."

"Nope," I shake my head, "not possible I'm not the only one responsible for those."

She snuggles into me. "Ok, so we both have to work at this."

"As long as it's a two way street. What else?"

"No hand holding, hugging, or kissing."

"These are horrible," I'm pouting ridiculously but this is not fair I just earned the right to do these things and she's taking them away.

"No telling me you love me either," she plows on.

"Kate…" I whine.

"Just at work." She's trying to reassure me, with a gentle pat and a kiss to my cheek.

"You know I'm breaking all those rules in the car," I tell her already picturing wrapping my hand around hers in the squad car.

"Castle…" It's a warning but I can tell it's just not that forceful because she wants those things too.

I squeeze her reassuringly, "I love you too."

**Get On Your Boots – U2**

"Dad?" The name echoes through the loft, and she freezes on top of me, slowly lifting her head from the spot she'd been studying with her tongue.

"Is that Alexis?" she manages to hiss.

The answer supplies itself, "Dad where are you?" Kate flies off me.

She's pushing her hair out of her line of vision as she hunts for her clothes. "Shit," She keeps muttering under her breath finding her pants and managing to pull them on.

"Dad are you home?"

I manage to kick myself into action, "I'll be out in a second." I call to my daughter hopping out of bed snagging sweat pants and a t-shirt throwing them on as Kate moans softly into her hands standing next to the bed in just her jeans. "What?" I whisper.

"My bra and shirt." She looks panic stricken, and she never looks that way.

"What about them?"

"They're in the living room," she hisses in disbelief that I didn't put it together faster.

"Oh."

"Oh. That's what you have to say? Your daughter is out there with them. This is a nightmare." She moans again, I can't help but laugh, scooping my button down up of the ground and crossing to her. "Castle." She swats at me.

"Just put this on. You're not going anywhere." I kiss her softly, swiping a thumb over her cheekbone, "Alexis will be fine, she'll probably be relieved it's you."

"Relieved?" Her eyebrow quirked up, as she finally accepts the shirt from me.

"Let's just say there were a few timing miss-calculations in the past and a shirt and bra were not the only things she found before I did." I shake my head, as she looks like she's trying to hold in a laugh. "A story for another time. Come out when you're decent, we'll do something about dinner."

She smiles back biting her lip with a nod as she set to work on the shirt buttons, and I went out to greet my daughter. Alexis was sitting on the couch, eying the missing articles of clothing that had thankfully managed to simply land on the floor. "Dad are you hiding a girl in your room again?" She's torn between amusement and disgust.

"Not hiding anything, she'll be out in a minute she had to procure other clothes since clearly some of hers are missing." I crossed the room to the kitchen, "What do you want for dinner?" I asked opening the fridge.

"Dad." She huffs exasperated, "Who exactly is in your room that I should expect any minute wearing your shirt?" Her hands are on her hips and her head is tilted to the side, she must have learned it from Beckett, it's an interrogation pose.

I open my mouth to answer but the woman in question has come out of the room in her pants and my shirt and my mouth has gone dry. "That would be me," she answers lightly.

Alexis' mouth is open. "Detective Beckett?" she manages to squeak, her eyes volleying back and forth between us, before she manages to pull herself together. "Actually, I'm going to see if Grams wants to meet me out. I'll see you guys later." She scoops up her purse and heads for the door before I can say anything. Then she stops, "Dinner? The three of us another night though?" She manages to ask.

Kate smiles, "I'd love that."

**We Found Love – Rihanna**

"What happened in here?" Castle asked coming through the door of the tiny apartment that had been turned into a bloodbath.  
>"I don't know Castle, but if I had to guess someone died." Esposito was in a snarky mood this morning so I wasn't surprised when the sarcastic comment came from him as Castle joined us.<p>

Castle fortunately smart enough not to engage, instead he lifted an eyebrow at me to convey his confusion at Espo's mood and then continued on, "Where's the body then?"

I smiled at him, "That's just it, there doesn't seem to be a body, just a lot of blood."

"So how do we know that there's a dead person?" His brow wrinkled in confusion.

"There's too much blood for them to have lived," Lanie offered from the corner.

"What if there were two people?" I asked, "Could they have left here alive?" I looked from the blood spattered room to Castle who was looking around just as puzzled as I was.

Lanie shook her head, "There are footprints and drag marks. We'll check the samples but my guess is that the blood is all from the same person."

Castle let a out low whistle, "So someone came in here killed the owner?... in such a violent manner that blood spatter got on almost every surface and then they managed to … just carry the body out of the building without anyone noticing?"

I grimaced, well this is going to be a nightmare of a case. "Looks that way?"

"Do we at least know if it was the tenant or if it was someone else?"

"Looks like it was the tenant but it was a sublease and the paperwork seems to be of questionable reliability." It really was going to be a nightmare,

"Well I guess we should go back to the precinct and get started with what we know… Castle what are you doing?"

He was bobbing and weaving around the apartment looking under things and behind furniture. "I heard a sound," he told me crossing into the next room looking behind the furniture.

"What kind of sound?" I watched bemused.

"A small animal sound," he told me looking behind the large upright speaker in the apartment, "like a kitten." He stood up triumphantly clutching a tiny kitten to his chest. "Hey there little guy," He cooed lifting the little guy up to get a better look at the little ball of grey fur, "You're okay we'll take good care of you." He shifted the little guy so that the kitten could cuddle into his chest a bit.

"_We'll_ take good care of him?" I asked, but I couldn't help but smile at him he was pretty cute with a little kitten clutched to his chest, as he came back to me.

"Yeah we'll take good care of him."

"You want to adopt a cat Castle that on you, but it is not going to be a group activity."

"Kate…"

"Castle you can keep the cat but he's your cat."

"You're not going to come over and play with him?" the question sounded like had come from a six year old followed by the plaintiff meow of the ball of grey fur.

Sighing knowing it was a battle that wasn't even an option, I reached over and rubbed the little thing's head. "Yeah I'll come play with you."

**Prince – Vanessa Carlton**

Her dress flares out around her knees as I spin her on the dance floor, the matching laughter of pure joy makes his heart skip a beat as he pulls her body back to him. Her eyes are sparkling with joy and she has that wonderful smile she has on when she shares something with him. "This is fun Castle," she says on a sigh as she settles back against him.

"You sound surprised?"

She presses a kiss to his cheek stepping in a little closer as the music changed. "Well I have to admit that I was expecting you to blindfold me and take me on a helicopter ride or something equally ridiculous for our first date."

He laugh, "That would have been fun too and I did think about it, but I figure I have of plenty of time to surprise you."

"Oh you do?" Her voice is soft and laced with hope as well as hesitation.

He sighs tugging her just a little closer. "Yeah I do," he can feel her smile as she settles her head on his shoulder. "One day I'm going to ask you to marry me."

She freezes, "Castle… It's only been a month."

"You know better than that Kate, it's been four years. I'm not asking today but I will." She nods a little bit as they sway to the slower song. "On our second case together you told me that you were a one and done kinda girl would you be here if you didn't think this was it?"

She's quiet for a moment before she pulls back just far enough that she's looking in his eyes, "No. No I wouldn't be Rick." Her hand cups the back of his neck as she lays her lips over his softly kissing him, reassuring him that her hesitation wasn't anything to worry about.

Smiling as she rested her forehead against his, he opens his eyes to find hers twinkling back at him. "Ok, so let's just enjoy our first date and worry about all the rest later."

She grins wrapping herself around him even tighter, "You think we can enjoy the rest of our date at home?"

"Tired of dancing?"

She shakes her head just a little bit, "Not at all I'd just rather continue dancing without our clothes." Then she bites that damned lip of hers and he's helpless not to crush his lips to hers. She lets him kiss her until she deems it indecent and then untangles all but her hand and pulls back toward their table for their stuff. "Come on Prince Charming, take me home," she laughs as he scrambles after her.

**A Great Day For Freedom – Pink Floyd**

"When'd you get it?" he asked softly fingertips tripping over the phrase, his head level with it on the mattress as he read it over and over again fingertips chasing the gentle swirl of the script I'd chosen.

"Oh," I huff thinking back to the rebellious few months where the motorcycle wasn't enough to establish my freedom and individuality. "I was 17, the summer before senior year of high school. I wanted to show that I was different from my parents. "

"Why?" he asks his voice filled with curiosity, and parental disapproval.

"Because we were fighting over where I wanted to go to college, test scores, and what I would study. Truth is we all wanted the same thing but that just felt oppressive to me."

"So you go a tattoo?" I can hear the skepticism in his voice, knowing there's a quirked eyebrow to accompany it.

I laugh, "You sound like my dad."

"I bet he was pleased," he grouses next to me.

"It's not a bad thing Castle, I just forget you're a dad sometimes." I chuckle before sobering, "He didn't know until last summer when he was taking care of me... It's not exactly in a spot your father sees very often."

"Did your mom know?" he asks timidly, awaiting my reaction.

I smile, though remembering my mom's amused face. "Yeah, she saw it when we were shopping. Homecoming dresses or something, I don't remember, but she fixed me with this look and said, Katie you're going to spend the rest of your life trying to find clothes that will hide that." He presses a soft kiss to the lettered skin on my rib cage, "I threw some retort at her about not wanting to hide it, despite the fact that I'd been doing just that for months."

"It wasn't until that night when she came to say good night that she actually insisted on reading it."

"What she say?"

"She shook her head, smiled, and said, 'It suits you'"

It's then that Castle boosts himself up to look at me, hover over my body, "It still does." His voice is laced with lust and awe, as he leans into capture my lips allowing his body to fall firmly against mine.

"Differently." Is all that I can get out as he captures my attention with other activities. But he's right it still does suit me. Not in the way I ever thought it would when I was 17 but it's still suits me.

**Sooner or Later – Breaking Benjamin**

The door to the bathroom opened expelling the built up steam and one freshly washed detective wrapped in a towel, just as I was coming back into the room clutching two cups of coffee, "Good morning."

"Morning." She grins taking the cup of coffee, leaning in to brush a kiss across my lips, "You gonna be ready to go in twenty?"

"Me? I think you take longer to get ready than I do Detective." I smirk at her crossing into the bathroom so that I could shave while she got dressed,

"I'm not the one with a mane of hair to work with."

"It's too hot to bother with it, I'll just braid it." I can hear her shrug as she goes into the closet, pulling out one of the three pairs of jeans that have migrated here in a few short weeks, and a sleeveless blouse.

She's braiding said hair as I come out to pull on my own clothes. "I smell like you," she sniffs the end of the braid suspiciously as if it's offending her.  
>"I thought you liked how I smell." I ask coming up behind her wrapping my arms around her waist burying my head in the crook of her neck, inhaling my body wash over a scent that is purely Kate.<p>

Relaxing back into my chest she wrapped an arm around my head, turning her head so she could press a kiss to my cheek. "I do like how you smell. I just don't think I can keep going to work smelling like you."

"Ah, you're worried the keen Detectives Ryan and Esposito will smell that there is more to you and I showing up together at early morning crime scenes than you picking me up on your way."

"Something like that." She steps out of my arms in the direction of the bathroom, to do her make up.

"So why don't you get a set of stuff for here?" I ask leaning against the door frame to watch her meticulously apply the eyeliner that she rummaged out of the tiny makeup case she's been keeping in the car. "You know… all your shower stuff, and lotions, and maybe a set of makeup so I don't have to hear you complain about your eyeliner melting in the car."

She turns to me one eye finished the other completely naked, it's a disconcerting look, only accentuated by the face she's making. "Oh, that's your motive, you don't want to hear me complain about my eyeliner?"

"Well that and I as much as I like you smelling like me, I like when you smell like you. And I like when you're here." I shrug, "The solution is simple you need a set of stuff here, and I'll get a set of stuff for your place."

She smiles turning back to the mirror to even out her eyes, "Presumptuous aren't we."

"Nah, I just don't like smelling like cherries, and aftershave," I chuckle.

She laughs, "It is a little weird."

**All You Need Is Love - The Beatles**

Canvassing the park is probably one of the most fruitless things we do normally. People come and go and aren't necessarily regulars at them. Of course, there are the homeless, drug addicts and panhandlers that spend enough time at parks to see things. They don't exactly fall into the reliable category. The best regulars at parks for cops though are at play grounds, which is where we are today hoping that one of the nannies or parents recognized our victim found nearby.

I was just finishing talking with a young woman who thought our vic was a nanny in a nearby building, having a flashback to our second case, when I realized that Castle wasn't standing with me, instead he was pushing the daughter of the woman I was talking with on the nearby swings.

The little girl was laughing as Castle tells her a story with a huge grin on his face. "You've got a good one there," the woman told me with a smile, before heading over to relieve Castle of his pushing duties.

"What's with the smile?" he asked as he jogged over to me.

I shrug starting toward the car, "Nothing, you just looked like you were having fun."

"It's been a long time since I've pushed a little girl on the swings," he grabs my hand despite the fact that he knows it's against the rules, only squeezing it when I look down pointedly but make no move to disengage.

"Would you do it again?" I ask determinedly keeping my features schooled, not looking at him.

I can feel his eyes on me but I refuse to look at him. "Sure, I would push a little girl on the swings again so that you can finish your interview."

Then he purposely misunderstands me, and I whip my gaze back to find him grinning at me. "Castle..." I sigh exasperated.

"Not what you meant Detective?' he asks coming to a stop underneath a tree, tugging on my hand to pull me back to him. Dropping his voice, "Would I raise a child again?" he asked me, beautiful blue eyes sparkling.

"Yes." I bite my lip nervously, I really hadn't meant to start this conversation but seeing him on the playground my mouth had gotten away from me.

Releasing my hand he wrapped both of his arms around my waist, pulling me to him, he shook his head. "Not by myself. Don't get me wrong I loved raising Alexis and I have the perfect career to do it, but I don't think I could do it alone again."

I brought my hands up to his chest, rubbing my fingers gently against the material. "If you had someone to do it with?" I looked up at him under my eyelashes, this whole thing making me very shy.

A hand came up and tilted my chin up, "I would raise fifteen kids with you Kate." He leans in capturing my lips in a kiss. "You're the only one I would raise kids with, as many as you want, when you're ready." Just as I'm leaning in for another kiss, my phone rings startling us both. "I think we should probably tell the boys that we're dating first though," he manages to laugh.

**Beautiful Disaster – Kelly Clarkson**

He'd been handys all day, reaching for me, in the precinct, sliding his fingers into my back pocket. Tucking my hair behind my ear, skimming his fingers down my jawbone. Sitting super close all the time. Wrapping his fingers around mine in the elevator was the last straw as I turned to him and hissed, "Rules, Castle."

"Beckett…" he whines, even as he untangles our fingers.

I know why he's being touchy feely, he's reassuring himself. This morning didn't exactly start out stellar. We'd arrived at the crime scene only to have bullets rain down on us from a car without plates. One grazed my arm. No damage to me personally but it tore a hole through my new leather jacket.

So I was pissed enough that the leather jacket I'd just dropped three hundred dollars on was ruined. Then there was Castle, who seemed to have the desperate need to reaffirm himself that I was still there by touching me. The problem wasn't so much that he was being irksome touching me, rather I really just wanted to lean into the touch and let him hug me for just a minute. Only that wasn't possible.

This was all still so new. So new that we haven't told the boys yet. There was no way that they were going to find out because I need a hug. So I'm standing on one side of the elevator, as we coast to the ground floor, and he's on the other. Now we're both grumpy and we stayed that way all day even when we wrapped up the case in under 12 hours.

The bullpen is pretty empty when we leave, and he's still pouting and I know exactly how to cheer him up as he stabs the down button. The car opens and we step on, I hit the ground floor button quickly, and then step into him.

His intake of breath is audible as I bring my hands up to wrapped my fingers around his lapels. "Thanks for behaving today," I whispered, leaning into him capturing his lips with mine. And I kiss him in the elevator as he's been dreaming about for years.

There was a question on the tip of his tongue, I can taste it as I slipped my tongue inside his mouth. Fortunately, I seem to have silenced him for once in his life as his hands land on my ass pulling me closer.

The elevator comes to a stop, and he's the one that pulls back. "Behaving?" he looks happy and amused for the first time all day.

"Well you were pouting all day, but yes behaving." I stroll out the elevator, with him on my heels.

"Does this mean that you're going to come home with me?"

Oh Castle, reaching for his hand I tangle out fingers as we make our way down the block to the cruiser. "Yeah I'm going home with you, I could use some Castle time."

He tugs me back to him just wrapping his arms around me in a hug. "Good, because I really need Beckett time."

**Is Anybody Out There? – Pink Floyd**

"Good evening everyone!" I called by way of greeting as I let myself into the loft, in theory just in time to catch desert with Richard and Alexis, and possibly Kate. What I didn't expect to find just Kate sitting at the counter filling out what looked like a pile of paperwork.

"Martha! We weren't expecting you." She looks like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, as she scrambled to clean up her paper work. "Sorry, Castle went to get ice cream and I was just trying to get caught up on some of my paperwork while it was quiet."

"Kate dear, you don't have to pack up. Stay. Work. I thought I'd join for dessert, and it sounds like I'm in plenty of time. Where's Alexis?"

Kate settles back into her chair still looking mildly nervous for someone that spends her days dealing with murderers. "She went to meet some friends for a movie, whole last summer before they go off to college thing." She smiles softly, "Castle's having rough time with it so the two flavors of ice cream in the freezer aren't enough."

Oh my son, the wonderful man that he is, completely heartbroken over his little girl growing up. "He'll be alright dear, he just has to wrap his head around her growing up."

She laughs a little, "I feel like I've been talking him through it since the day I meet him."

Pulling the open bottle of wine from the fridge I pour myself a glass, "He's not going to be any better with your children."

The pen she's been twirling absent mindedly freezes, "I think it's a little early to talk about that."

"Oh nonsense and you know it." I can see the flush of embarrassment crawling up her skin. "Let me tell you something. Richard has never been a man of particularly long attention spans, aside from his daughter you are the only person he has ever been focused on for so long."

She bites her lip but doesn't look away. "I know you see that Kate, he follows you into danger everyday and it's not just for the story."  
>She takes a deep calming breath. "I do see it," she nods her head, "and I've always known from the moment we started this that this was it… sometimes it all feels very fast."<p>

"Kate…" I reach over and rest my hand on hers, "He's the only man that I've ever been able to count on so when he says he wants you, that he loves you, it's not just a fleeting notion for him."

Her tears are glistening softly, as though the notion of this is still so new to her that she really doesn't know how to handle it. "I know, it's just hearing it from someone else makes it very real."

"You love him?" It's a stupid question I know, but she nods in confirmation. "Then don't worry about the rest of us giving you a hard time."

She's opening her mouth to speak when the front door opens. "I'm back and I got 10 more flavors. Mother? What are you doing home? We weren't expecting you until the sun starts creeping over the horizon in the morning."

"Well I was going to join you all for dessert but clearly my presence isn't needed. Good night dears." I grab my wine and start up the stairs. Below I can practically hear Kate's eye roll when she asks why he needed 10 flavors and his justification that they're the little Ben and Jerry's so they won't take up as much room.

**Take Me Away – Avril Lavgine**

The knock was sharp against his door. I didn't care, I was annoyed and the sound echoed my feelings. The door swung open just as I was going to knock again. "Kate, what are you going here?"

"What the hell Castle!" I snapped striding past him into the loft, tugging off my jacket and throwing it over the couch. "You just left. You didn't even say anything you just went home. What the hell?"

He closed the door carefully turning around to face me, "It seemed like the best thing you were annoyed with me and then that guy called you wife number three which pissed you off more."

"Without telling me?" I spit out, frustrated that this annoys me and yet and I can't get passed it.

He folds his arms carefully across his chest, even as he walks towards me. "Well you were busy getting reamed by Gates and you'd just told me that I was smothering you. I just figured that some space would be good."

He's not wrong and I appreciate the gesture looking back at it, but it was just so uncharacteristically Castle. He's the man that stays and bugs you until you physically throw him out, and this time he did exactly what I needed him to and that had freaked me out even more.

Collapsing against the back of the couch I ran my hand through my hair sighing, "God, why is this so hard?"

I lift my eyes to find him looking at me, slowly stepping closer. "We're trying too hard."

He's right, I can feel it in my gut and I don't know what to do about it. "This is one of those things that normally I come up against and I don't push through because it's not worth it."

He freezes a foot from me, panic washing across his face, "Is this worth it?"

"You have to stop touching me constantly at work, and telling me that I can't go places, and pushing me to talk to people in the book world that I'm not ready to talk to, and I can't be wondering if you're just not going to be there when it gets hard."

"The wife number three comment?"

I pull my lip between my lips, nervous gesture that I've never been able to break, and I know that it drives him nuts. "Yeah…"

He does come closer now relaxing just a little bit, "I don't want to mess this up. I don't want you to be just wife number three. I want you to be the one that lasts. The one that makes all the other mistakes worth it because they led to you." His eyes are pleading and desperate and he reaches out a hand to wrap around my arm.

Lifting my own hand I cover his, swiping my thumb over his knuckles, soothing both our frazzled nerves. "I love you. You the writer. The little boy that believes in ghosts, ninjas, and zombies. The guy that weaves crazy theories that have a propensity to have just a touch of truth in them. You the guy that hovers and drives me crazy. You the guy that brings me coffee every morning, and does silly things just to make me laugh."

He's smiling just a little bit now, even as I plunge onward, "The idea of being wife number three terrifies me not just because it speaks to your record. But because there's so much truth to the statement." His breath hiccups, and his fingers tighten on my arm. "You've done this too many times and are nervous about it, and I've never done it so I'm nervous about."

We're quiet again and I let my body cant forward into his so that I can rest my head on his chest and just listen to his heartbeat. "We're not there yet," his voice is gruff with emotion even as his fingers slide into my hair holding my head to him. "We have plenty of time to figure out how this works, how we work together as more than just partners, how to tell the boys and Gates, make everything official before we even consider anything else."

There he is, my wonderful man. Standing up so that we're pressed together, lifting my eyes to his. "That is actually why I'm here... Gates knows."  
>Even as his arms go around my waist he pulls back just a bit, "No way."<p>

"She kicked me out for the weekend." I smile, "Said I needed to go work on my partnership, get it worked out so that it didn't interfere with my work."  
>He laughs, beautifully and completely carefree, rolling through both of us. "I have to give her more respect for not just kicking me out."<p>

"I think she likes you."

He shakes his head, "I think she likes you and you've made it clear that I come with you so she tolerates me."

I lean over capturing his lips softly, before resting my forehead against him. "Take me away this weekend Castle and we can work on our partnership."

"We'll go to the Hamptons," he says decisively. His hands are ghosting across my skin under my shirt leaving a trail of goose bumps, "In the morning."

"In the morning." I agree, slipping from his grasp to round the couch and head for the bedroom.

**My Ghost – Glass Pear**

She's pushing and pulling the sand with her toes, her sandals long forgotten on the porch. Even as she maintains the constant motion, she's completely still, leaning into my side on the fancy driftwood bench I'd bought to go around the fire pit. One hand resting in her lap the other over my knee. If it weren't for my arm slung over her shoulders, feeling the lift and fall of her breaths and the movement of her toes I would think that she had fallen asleep. As it was, she was content to watch the flames flicker.

We'd come out hours ago and built the fire to roast marshmallows for s'mores. Alexis had long since taken off to hang out with some kids she'd met at a bonfire down the beach and Mother had gone to meet people for a late cocktail. Leaving us to watch the flames."It's beautiful here," floats softly to my ears.

Running my fingers up and down her bare arm I smile, "Surely you've been to the Hamptons before? A born and bred New Yorker like you."  
>She shifts against me wrapping her arm around my waist, fingers scrunch my shirt. "I've been, but I meant your house. Your little spot here."<p>

The house isn't massive, bigger than the loft, but mostly because it's a standalone house. It does have a pool and a large deck opening into the grasses that swiftly turn to the sandy shore and running into the ocean. "I'm glad you like it." I press a kiss into her hair, "We can come as often as you like."

"Even in the dead of winter?" She's being contrary just for fun.

I shrug, jostling her head a little bit. "Sure, the house is a little drafty but there's something majestic about the ocean in the dead of winter."

"Always the writer," she sighs and I can hear the content smile in her voice.

"You like that about me." She's never actually said as much, so really I'm putting words in her mouth. But she's a fan of my books so she must like that.

The kiss to the skin at my collar bone is soft and barely there, and yet beautifully reassuring. "You're right I do like that you're always telling a story."

I do a little fist pump, "I knew it." Her answering chuckle is musical on the ocean breeze, as we settle into silence again.

Her toes come to a stop and she pulls her feet up on the bench fully reclining against me. "Tell me a ghost story?" she asks.

She's only asked for a story a few times, but never a ghost story. "You don't believe in ghosts."

"But I believe in you." She says so simply, as if it really is the most obvious thing in the world.

Once I start breathing normally again, I'm helpless but to give her the story she's asked for. "It was a dark and stormy night…"

"Could you be more cliché?" she teases.

"Hush, you asked for a story... Where was I?"

**Unsung – Vanessa**

I can smell the coffee brewing when I wake up. Too early on a Saturday for Dad but Kate is probably out running so he's trying to surprise her when she comes back. Pulling myself out of bed, I wander down to help. Elaborate breakfasts are some of the best meals dad puts together. However, reaching the bottom of the stairs I find Kate dancing around the kitchen as she makes breakfast, cup of coffee steaming next to the stove.

"Morning Alexis." She calls cheerfully as I pull myself on a barstool she sets a cup of coffee in front of me, before going back to stirring the waffle batter. I smile appreciatively taking a sip, surprised to find it exactly the way I like it.

"How'd you know?"

She smiles, pouring batter into the griddle. "You take it exactly like your dad does on the weekends. You like waffles?"

"Love them." I watch her bopping around the kitchen, like she belongs there, "Kate what changed?"

Her face transformed from light and happy to more contemplative as she set the bowl aside, taking the minute to wipe her hands before she locked eyes with me. "I assume you between me and your dad?"

I nod, wrapping my hands around the cup of coffee that's evidence of her love of not just him. "You guys… it's just for so long you guys… and then I came home and you're both... well not perfect but pretty close that fairytale ending everyone wants… Kate he's been in love with you since, probably since you brought him in for questioning that first time and there's no way that you didn't know that because you're way too smart for that… but then last summer you got shot, and he nearly got shot and you didn't talk to him... you cut him out… You didn't see him that summer he was broken I mean sure he was my dad but the spark was gone and…" I inhaled deeply, "and all of the sudden you guys…"

"Alexis," Kate's voice cut through my tirade with those magical cop powers she has and held the silence for just a second, long enough for me to flush at how silly I must have sounded. She leans over the counter taking a steadying breath. "I love your father." That was all she said for a full minute, letting it sink in. There's something about that though, hearing it in the simplest terms straight from her lips that answers so many questions.

"I have a lot of baggage... Alexis, you and your dad, you deserve everything, someone without bullet scars and emotional ones that run so deep that they're physically incapacitating at times." She says each word carefully measured trying to find the clearest way to say it.

"But he only ever wanted you."

"I know," she nods softly, reaching out to lay a hand over mine. "I've loved him in some capacity since I picked up that first Derek Storm novel, and in some capacity he's always been there for me… whether it was his stories, as the goofy author following me around or as the man that loved me even when I was too broken to give him what he needed... it took him walking away, him finally protecting himself from me that… him not being there when I needed him that made me realize how much I love your father, how much I need him... that nothing else matters if I don't have him."

She was so calm and serious and she forged on even as I wiped away tear. "There's nothing in this world that is more important to me than your father and you."

I choke a little bit, "Me?"

She nods, "You and your dad are a package deal, always have been, and it's one of many reasons I love him."

She steps back rescuing the waffle just as it starts to burn giving me a second to collect myself as she goes about pouring more batter and starting a pan on the stove for bacon. "Kate?" I say softly hoping that she'll look up at me again, and she does. "He could have never walked away forever. He's never looked at anyone the way he looks at you, or talked about them, been as selfless for, grounded for, or as inspired by, as he is by you."

The corner of her mouth quirks up even as I see tears glistening the forest green. "I can think of one person," she says softly.

"Who?" No one comes to mind since he met Kate and no one before did.

"You." She says with a wink as she starts cracking eggs into a bowl.

I can't help myself, a watery laugh escapes, and she resumes her dancing around the kitchen that will be hers one day humming as though the last five minutes never happened. "What can I do to help?" I ask polishing off the last of my coffee.

"Actually, if you could run to the store it seems like we're out of orange juice and whip cream." The fact that she knows dad won't even consider the waffles without the whip cream says just as much as every word that came before.

**How Long – Dream**

The scent of bacon and coffee pulled me from sleep. In the morning light I managed to find a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt and made my way out into the kitchen thinking that Alexis must have decided that breakfast was in order while Kate was out running and whatever else it is she does when her alarm goes off bright and early every morning.

However, standing in the kitchen pouring batter into the waffle maker, was not my daughter but rather Kate with her hair pulled into a sloppy ponytail, one of my button downs with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of leggings as she bopped around my kitchen humming to herself.

Catching my eye when she turned around she smiled that brilliant happy smile, "Good morning." She popped a strawberry in her mouth as I crossed to her.

"Good morning," I smiled back wrapping my arms around her waist so that I could lean in and kiss her. She kept smiling into the kiss, before opening her mouth and letting me explore her so thoroughly.

Boosting her up onto the counter my hands moved to the buttons of my shirt, opening it so that I could trail kisses down her chest. "Castle, the waffles and eggs are going to burn," she's happy and laughing a little bit even as she tugs on my hair.

"Don't care," I stand up capturing her lips in another kiss. "Do you know how long I've been dreaming of finding you making breakfast in my kitchen and I actually get to kiss you?"

She's smiling at me oh so softly, and oh so in love with me and there isn't anywhere else on the planet I would rather be than with her in my kitchen. She kissed me again before pushing me back so that she could pop off the counter and rescue the waffle and stir the eggs. "I'm going to guess since the first time you found me in your kitchen making you breakfast."

"You would be right." I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind pressing kisses to her exposed neck.

"Really, Richard you should let the woman finish making breakfast before you jump her." My mother's voice descended from on high as she appears on the stairs.

"Mother," I sort of squeaked because I hadn't realized that she was home.

Kate laughed against me, and the feeling of her happiness, eased most of my discomfort. "Good morning Martha."

"Morning dear," my mother sat herself at the bar picking up a plate and helping herself to the food.

Just as the door opens and Alexis comes in with a grocery bag, "I got more orange juice and whip cream for dad." She calls coming in setting the extraneous supplies on the counter before pulling herself into a seat, "Morning dad."

All the naughty images that my mind had supplied me with when I found her completely washed out of my head and filled with many more mornings of my entire family having breakfast together, "I've dreamed about this too." I whisper in her ear as she turns around.

"Me too." She bit her lip smiling then pressed a kiss to my cheek and picked up her own plate for breakfast.

**Kite – U2**

He blindfolded me when he picked me up this morning. I was trying to not protest because this was basically what I'd expected from him on our first date, and he'd refrained so when he held up the bandana with a grin I'd rolled my eyes and let him fasten it around my head. This was Richard Castle after all and if he was immature from time to time then he wasn't being himself.

Besides it hadn't been all bad, his idea of leading me was to hold one hand and wrap the other around my shoulder so that I was tucked into his side. Then he'd spent the whole car ride whispering things my ear, things that should never be repeated outside of a bedroom.

But now we're standing in what I believe is an open part of the park, and he's standing right behind me. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what Castle, it's not like you've given me any clues?"

"Well then I guess we'll just leave this on for a bit." I can hear the amusement in his voice.

I lift my hands up to my face now, the joke can only go on so long, if he won't take it off then I will. But his hands come up and stop mine, before undoing the knot and pulling the bandana away. I was right we're standing in the park and it's full of people with kites. "Wow," I manage to breathe trying to take in the variety of kite's floating over the meadow.

He's now wrapping himself around me, "Well what do you think?" he asks against my ear.

"What is this?"

"A kite festival. I thought we could have a picnic and fly a kite today. Sound like fun?" He's pulled back just a little bit so that he can look at my face.  
>I smile, "That sounds like a wonderful idea." Relishing in the ability to do it now I lean in and press a kiss to his lips, "I hope you brought a kite, and the picnic."<p>

His grin is wolfish now in glee as he pulls the backpack I hadn't seen yet off his shoulder. "Everything we need for a kite flying and picnicking adventure."

He brought a pretty basic kite with him, at least by Castle standards. But he insisted that if the classic works why mess with it. So he'd run until it had caught air and now he has me bracketed between his arms, chest to my back and we were both flying the kite. "This is really nice," I hum.

"Certainly is different than how we normally spend our time."

"I thought you liked solving murders," I tease.

"I like anything that involves you," he replies softly, and the words knock the wind out of me, even as the kite hitches in the sky unexpectedly.

I finally find it in me to return, "I like when things involve you too."

"Well that's good because you're stuck with me now."

**Breakfast at Tiffanys – Deep Blue Something**

I'm not sure what compelled me to walk inside. I'd been passing by on my way to the precinct and my feet had just carried me inside. So now I'm standing in the middle of this huge glittering store.

"Excuse me?" a small voice pulls me out of deciphering my own subconscious, to find a small brunette dressed in black with a name tag watching me.

I pull in a deep breath, "Yes?" I manage to direct my attention to her.

"Can I help you find something?"

"An engagement ring." My subconscious is fully in control, just spewing things from my mouth, geez.

The saleswoman's face lights up, "Oh right this way." She waves for me to follow as she makes her way behind the nearest counter. "My names Lori. What type of metal were you thinking for the band?"

"Rick," I respond, "and platinum I suppose."

She nods, "Over here," moving down the counter, she's studying me though probably trying to figure out why I look familiar. "Sorry, this is silly but are you Richard Castle?" she finally asks.

I laugh, grateful for something normal on a day when my subconscious has taken control, "Yeah, I am. I take it you're a fan."

Her head bops enthusiastically, "Yes. I love Nikki Heat, she's my favorite character to date."

I smile thinking of her real life counterpart, "Mine too."

She leans on the glass case looking starstruck, "Don't take this the wrong way, but who is the ring for?"

"My girlfriend," I try and keep the skepticism out of my voice, but really who else does one buy an engagement ring for?

She blushes, "Oh, I didn't realize you had a girlfriend, I thought… well I always thought… based on the articles… and the dedications… and how you write about Nikki and Jameson… I just thought…"

I decide to put her out of her misery, "That I'd be marrying Detective Beckett?" I smiled at her amused because it was quite endearing how flubbed she was over this.

She giggles relieved, "Yes, but it's really none of my business."

I have to put this poor girl out of her misery, "Well it's only been a few months but yes the ring is for her." I scratch my neck, trying not to convey that this really wasn't planned, "You never know when the right moment will present itself."

I'm pretty sure Lori's reaction is what girls are like when they find out their best friend is getting married, "Oh that's just wonderful." She claps her hands and then is a flurry of movement pulling settings out. "Well here are some settings that you might be interested in, we'll pick a setting and then find the diamond," and with that we set to work.

An hour later the box weighed heavily in my pocket when I got to the precinct coffee in hand. It's way too soon, we haven't even told the boys yet, so I'm going to have to hide it, but when she smiles at me… It doesn't matter I know exactly how I ended up in Tiffanys this morning.

**The Way I Loved You – Taylor Swift**

"There you are Richard!" I spot him finally. He's waiting at the bar just watching her, a look on his face I've never seen before.

"Evening Gina," he nods his head in acknowledgement of my presence but not actually looking at me. "It's a nice party. Thank you."

"Well Nikki Heat is a popular lady, might as well celebrate her properly." Lifting my hand, I order another glass of white wine. "Speaking of Detective Heat how is our dear Detective Beckett?" I can't even really be jealous at this point, she had him when she arrested him at the last Derek Storm party, and anything that happened since was doomed anyway.

"Oh, she's doing well. Better since her shooting," he tells me, never taking his eyes off her as she laughs with two reporters.

My wine arrived just in time for me to see the brilliant smile she shot him over the shoulder of the Ledger reporter. "Oh Richard!" I sigh and I finally have his undivided attention.

"_Oh Richard_ what?" he's looking at me carefully.

"You're finally sleeping with her." I smirk over the top of my wine glass before taking a sip, watching her sputter.

"We're… we're just friends… partners."

"Richard, you're not fooling anyone with that look on your face. You're in love with her." He's still just looking at me dumbstruck, "Relax she loves you back. At least judging by that smile."

He relaxes a little, "You can't say anything, we'll tell you when we're ready." He looks back out at her.

I huff, "Fine, fine. Whatever you say, but it'll make for great publicity. A writer and his muse."

"Always thinking ahead aren't we." He sneers, just a touch in my direction.

I just shrug, "It's my job. When you marry her make it stick, I don't want to deal with spinning a third divorce, plus can you really afford a third set of alimony checks?"

"Worried you won't get your fair share?" He's getting aggravated by me so it's probably time to move on.

"Not at all." He's really never been a problem, and probably didn't need to pay alimony but he's bent on taking care of everyone. Not that either of us should worry, "Richard you've never looked at anyone like you look at her."

"That bad?" He softens, glancing over at me.

I laugh a little bit, "That bad. You're not hiding anything."

"Gina…" It's a warning.

I pat his shoulder, "Oh relax, I won't say anything. Now go do your job, go sign some books and get that girl a ring."

He grins mischievously, "Already did."

I roll my eyes, of course he has. "Go sign some books," I order giving him a shove.

"Bossy, bossy." He grumbles, even as he makes his way into the crowd.

**Goodnight and Goodbye – Jonas Brothers**

"Goodnight sweetie. I love you," he whispers into the receiver of his phone. I can't hear what she's saying on the other side but the general tone of conversation strikes me as Alexis is doing much better with this than he is. "Yeah we can do lunch later this week. I want to hear all about your roommate and classes."

I lean against the doorway to his office, and just study him, huddling into the brown leather of the armchair. Only light in the room seeping through from the bedside light I'd had on in the bedroom, and light filtering in from the kitchen. I can't see his face but I know his eyes are closed as he listens to the excited babble of his daughter. "Go hang out with your floor, Alexis. I'm fine." His hand scrubs through his hair. "Yes, Kate is here with me…Ok I'll tell her… I love you." He lifts the phone away from his ear ending the call before letting his hand fall into his lap in emotional exhaustion.

I give him just a moment before padding across the room so that I could wrap my arms around his shoulders, my hands clasping on his chest. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head even as his hands come up to cover mine. "You gonna be ok?" I finally ask.

He inhales deeply, presumably to stem the tears, before answering. "I don't know what I would do if she'd gone to school any further away."

"You would have let her go if that's what she wanted, because you are an excellent father who loves his little girl so much."

He chuckles, "I probably would have locked her in her room and never let her see the light of day again."

I grin, "Or you'd do that."

"She asked if you were here," he said quietly.

"I heard that." I come around the back of the chair, letting my fingertips trail down his arm, as I came to face him. Leaning forward I wiped away a stray tear on his cheek and he leaned into my hand.

"She said to let you take care of me." He's placing not just his trust in me but also his daughters in me.

My breath stutters, but I don't say anything, I can't say anything. All I can do is lean forward and capture his lips. Softly trying to convey everything that he means to me, that they mean to me in that one moment. Disengaging I lean my forehead against his, "I love you."

His eyes are closed and he doesn't say anything for a long moment before he opens them revealing them to be darker than I'd ever seen them brimming with unshed tears. I give him just that moment before pulling back, grabbing his hand. "First things first though." I tugged him upright, "We need ice cream, and I believe someone still has at least six flavors that need testing in the freezer."

He smiles, and doesn't let me get two steps before catching me around the waist and burying his head in the crook of my neck holding on hard for a second. "Thank you," is expelled against my neck and then he's releasing me with a sad smile, "Definitely time for ice cream."

**It's Been Awhile – Staind**

I drop my bag by the front door, her apartment is dark, as it should be at this hour of the night. I shrug out of my jacket and toe off my shoes so that I can cross her apartment without waking her up.

It took a while but I can finally make my way through the place without tripping over the coffee table or running into the couch. So I manage to make it to the bedroom without swearing spontaneously and waking her up.

Apparently, I wasn't quiet enough, because she turned on the light as I came through the door. "Hey," she smiled sleepily at me, looking wonderfully tousled and sleepily against her pillows, "you're home?"

"Yeah," I nodded shrugging out of my button down and kicking off my pants, "I figured I might as well come here rather than go to the loft." I crawled over her to the other side of the bed, getting under the covers as she rolled over to face me. "Hi," I whispered, cradling her face to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"Hi," she breathes against me, "you're always welcome here."

"Good to know." I smile into her hair as she rolls back over turning out her light before tucking her body into the cove of mine.

Picking up my arm up, she draped it over her stomach lacing out fingers together, "I missed you." She admits on a sleepy sigh, drifting away.

"I missed you too." I kiss the back of her neck.

"I love you."

I tighten my arm around her waist, "I love you too."

"Hmm…" her humming in my arms has to be one of the best sensations on the entire planet because I know that she's so happy that she's vibrating with it, and I'm the reason for it. "You were gone for too long."

"I was?"

She nods, her hair tickling my skin as it shifts, "Yes, two weeks is too long."

"You saw me in Boston, and DC."

"They're not New York." Comes back to me slowly, she's sliding into sleep.

"No, they're not New York." I agree, "Go to sleep." I whisper to her.

"Welcome home," she's humming again even as her breathing evens out and she out again, pulling me under with her.

**Lazy Days - Enya**

"Where do you think you're going?" he called from the bed. Apparently, I woke him up as I untangled myself from the mess of limbs and linens when the sunlight had infiltrated my sleep.

"To the bathroom, and then maybe a run," I told him throwing a suggestive smirk over my shoulder before closing the door.

"Kaatee…" he whined loud enough for me to hear through the door, "don't you understand the meaning of Sunday?"

"And what exactly would that be?" I asked coming out of the bathroom amused at his rumpled and thoroughly relaxed state in the bed. Just watching me as I came closer dipping to scoop the shirt off the place it landed last night, tossing it into the hamper by the closet.

Snagging my wrist he pulled me back into the bed with surprising speed given that he look just so serene a second ago. "Sunday - meaning lazy day. A day meant for doing nothing but laying around in bed."

I smiled, knowing where this was headed even as he used my apparent lack of coordination at the moment to roll me over so that he was hovering above me. Arching my neck so that I could kiss him quickly. "I thought Sundays were days for doing everything I didn't get to do during the week?" I asked pulling back to watch him.

Seeing the mischievous glint in his eye told me this battle was completely lost. "Exactly, he followed me down towards the pillow pressing kisses to my neck and collarbone. "We don't get to laze around in bed during the rest of the week so we might as well on Sunday." He moved further south, "We might as well enjoy it while we have the chance."

"I was going to go for a run," I lamented, but making no effort to go anywhere else.

"Run another day." His hands ghosted over my skin making me tingle everywhere.

"I thought you liked me all sweaty," I teased scraping my nails over his back. His answer was mumbled against my the skin of my hip bone, making it unintelligible. "What was that?" I asked closing my eyes just enjoying his ministrations, "I like making you sweat."

"I thought we were being lazy…"

"Funny girl," He said making me gasp with his fingers, "I don't see you doing any of the work right now."

Trying my best to focus I opened my eyes again to look at him, trying to ground my voice despite the fact that I felt like floating away, "That can change."

"Do you want it too?" He pushed on.

"In a minute," I shuddered, riding the sensation as long as possible before opening my eyes to his shit eating grin.

"You like lazy days."

"Hard not too when they're like that." I hooked a leg around him and flipped us over, "but it's my turn to do the work," I settled on top of him.

"I love Sundays," He sighed.

**Sometimes You Can't Make It – U2**

"Ninjas!" he says with such obvious glee, that I have to restrain myself to just rolling my eyes and not laughing at him.

"Castle!" I'm trying to scold him and failing miserably.

He shrugs still grinning, "What, it's not like we have a better idea?" And I can't help myself I grin back.

"There's not even evidence that there might have been a fight or a blade, or anything that suggests ninjas." I debunk the theory immediately.

But when has that ever stopped him, "Doesn't mean it wasn't ninjas!"

"Really Rick? We live in New York city there aren't ninjas." This is fun, this has always been fun, it's nice that things get to stay the same, even with all the changes.

"They could be here visiting. Undercover, since they are assassins, sent by the Japanese mob to kill the victim." He's got a story spinning in his head,

I can see it behind his eyes.

Yet I can't help playing my role in this silly game. "Our Irish, early twenties, friendless, bank teller, that's never left New York State." I'm smirking at him trying desperately to keep it together because he loves the ninja idea, it's been his running theory since the zombie theory was partially right. "How exactly did he get so mixed up with the Japanese mob that they sent ninja's after him?"

"He…" Castle fights for something, anything, before shaking his head defeated, "I got nothing." He's pouting, having collapsed against the side of my desk, looking mildly dejected like he always does when the crazy theory gets knocked out.

I give his shoulder a comforting pat, "Sometimes even you, Mr. Best Selling Author, can't make the story work."

"But Ninjas would be so cool." He pouts like a nine year old.

Running the hand on his shoulder softly down his arm letting my fingers wrap around his bicep, "I know."

Of course, this is the moment Ryan and Esposito choose to make an appearance. Esposito looks pointedly at my hand as I pull it back. Ryan however, is taking Dad's side and not questioning Mom. "Who knows Castle it has been the CIA and zombies at least once," hitting him with the folder, "one of these days ninjas are bound to happen."

"When pigs fly bro," Esposito laughs.

Castle's eyes light up, and I know that there's another theory, just as crazy as the last one waiting behind his sparkling blue eyes, "What about aliens?"

"Not aliens." I shoot him down, glaring at Ryan.

"But Beckett, it hasn't been Aliens yet."

"There was that one case where you went on and on about aliens."

"But it wasn't aliens," he's pouting again.

"And it wasn't zombies."

"But it was the CIA." He's triumphant.

"And that ended well." I scowl, still amused, despite the fact that I can feel the boy's eyes volleying back and forth between us.

Castle shrugs, "I'm sticking with Ninja's until we have something better."

Now I turn to Ryan, "Tell me you have something better."

**Look After You – The Fray**

She was glorious. Skin glowing against the deep brown of my sheets as her hair tumbled across her back, the golden lowlights catching the early light just perfectly. Her whole body lifting and falling with each breath even as she snuggled into the pillow.

I couldn't help myself as I reached out a finger and lightly followed the curve of her spine. "I should get ready for work…" she mumbled into the pillow. I could hear the exhaustion in her voice, even as she said it. We'd been working a case too hard for the last week and had celebrated closing it a little vigorously when we'd gotten home so I knew she was tired.

"Play hooky with me …" I suggested, followed by a kiss to her shoulder blade.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" I can hear the smile in her voice as she flips her head on the pillow cracking one eye open to look at me.

I pretended to think about it for just a moment, "Would I like to spend the day with you doing not one case related thing?" I shifted a little bit closer to her to kiss her cheek, hovering over her ear. "Yeah I'd like that. Even if that means we just sleep and try and make up for lost hours."

"There couldn't possibly be an ulterior motive?" She sounds amused and skeptical, one of my favorite versions of her.

She laughs at that, full bodied, and freely as she flops onto her her back. "Well maybe I should go to work, since someone didn't tire me out enough to play hooky." She blinks up at me the very picture of innocence, daring me to do something.

"So this is my fault?" I quirk an eyebrow at her, she shrugs with a little smile in response. "I can certainly change that."

She sighs now looking a little upset, "I really should go to work."

Lowering my head to the crook of her neck, I kissed the delicate spot there, before moving my way up to her ear. "Stay Kate. Let me take care of you."

She shook her head just a little bit before capturing my lips in an apologetic kiss, "I should go. But you stay here and catch up on your sleep." Then she was slipping out of bed and over towards the dresser where her phone was.

Picking it up she turned around to study me, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth, fully aware of what that does to me, even as she just looked at me. Then with a small smile, she lifted the phone to her ear never taking her eyes off me. "Captain, its Detective Beckett… I just wanted to let you know that I won't be in today… I'll let him know… Yes Sir… See you tomorrow."

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face as she hung up the phone and crossed to me. "Captain Gates would like you to know that since I won't be going into today your presence isn't needed at the precinct."

"Is that so?" I asked looping my arms around her waist.

Kate laughed, coming in for a kiss. "Play hooky with me Castle," she breathed and then she sealed her lips over mine.

**Obvious – Blink 182**

"Hey guys!" Beckett said chipperly coming back from the break room clutching her fresh cup of coffee as we returned. Chipper faded quickly though when she realized we were one short. "Where's Castle?" She set the coffee down carefully, looking at both of us expectantly.

We're in trouble. There's really no way around it. Man, I knew we should have stayed with him. Oh well, nothing left but to tell her now. "Oh, he sliced his arm open at the warehouse," I shrug. I'm going for no big deal here.

Esposito fortunately jumps into help, even as her face goes pale. "We dropped him at the ER to get patched up." Espo isn't going to let scary Beckett stop him though, "He'll be back when he's fixed up."

"You left him at the ER by himself and nobody thought to call me." She grounds out. Pissed Beckett is probably worse than any other Beckett.

"Castle told us too." I mumble because it's true, he'd insisted that we didn't even come in with him as he went to get stitches on the nasty gash he got for being a klutz.

Beckett's not even listening though; she's whirled around snatching her leather jacket off the back of her chair. "I can't believe the three of you," she snaps striding over to the elevators leaving Javi and I in her wake. "I'll deal with you two later," comes across the bullpen as the elevator arrives.

"Shit." I turn looking at Javi. I knew she'd be pissed, I didn't think she'd be that pissed.

He, however, has the biggest grin on his face. "She's got it bad," he practically crows.

"What dude? Do you know how much trouble we're in? I told you we shouldn't have left him there, without at least calling."

Espo just shakes his head, plunking down in his seat. "Once she sees he's fine she'll yell at him and we'll be forgotten."

"And what makes you think that?" I ask my cocky partner.

He smirks, "'Cause they're finally doing it."

"What!" I look at Beckett's desk hoping that it'll magically clear things up, "Since when?" I look back at my partner.

Again with the shrugging, "I don't really know, just got a vibe a few days ago. Her reaction only confirms my theory."

"And you think that it means she'll yell at him and not us because they're sleeping together?" Oh man we are in so much more trouble than I thought we were.

"Yeah, because now she has the right to be pissed at him, in something other than a professional capacity." Espo nods sagely.

Time to point it out to him. "Dude if you're right and they're sleeping together then we are in so much more trouble."

"How do you figure?"

"Now we got her boyfriend and partner hurt and left him at the ER without even calling her. She's gonna be pissed at all of us."

Espo's eyes widen just a touch as it sinks in, "Shit."

"Yeah, shit. What are we gonna do?"

He looks quickly at her desk, "All of her paperwork?" which isn't exactly a small feat, given how she tends to get behind.

I groan, this is so not what I needed today. "It couldn't hurt."

**Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis**

The curtain on the bed whipped back just as the intern was starting the row of stitches on my forearm causing both of us to jump. "Castle, what did you do?"

"Ma'am I'm going to ask you to go back to the waiting room only patients and family members are allowed back here." The twenty something doctor tried in her firmest tones picking up my arm again.

Beckett however was completely unfazed, "NYPD," she snapped shifting her jacket just enough that the poor doctor could see the badge and the holstered weapon behind it. "Castle, what did you do?"

I tried to look innocent, "I just cut my arm, no need to scare poor Dr. Warren here."

"Just cut your arm!" She smacked my good arm.

"Ow."

"You're in the emergency room getting stitches. By yourself, might I add, since you had Ryan and Esposito just drop you off and tell me where you were when they got back."

"Kate…Kate." I repeated until she looked at me, "It's really okay I just need a few stitches I didn't want you to worry. I was going to come to the precinct as soon as I was done here."

She collapsed on the bed next to me, "You should have called me."

With my good hand I reached into her lap and squeezed her clasped ones, "I know I'm sorry, but really I'm fine. I tripped and fell when I was with the boys and caught my arm on a nail."

"You really are a klutz." She smiled, settling her head on my shoulder to watch the doctor work, "Next time you end up in the emergency room for stitches or a fever you call me," it was quiet and calm but it carried with it a deadly threat.

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded.

"Ok you're done," the doctor said covering the stitches with white gauze. "You're going to need to keep this dry for at least 24 hours. I'll get your paperwork and basic stitches care and then you're free to go." She stood moving to leave the stall we were in.

"He really is ok?" Kate asked her, sounding just a little bit terrified.

Fortunately the twenty something seemed to sympathize with whatever girly thoughts were fleetingly occupying my partner's mind, "He'll be fine, needs to learn how to keep his feet under him but otherwise he's fine, probably won't even scar."

"Ok." Kate nodded now, "Thank you, I'm sorry I was rude to you earlier."

"No worries, I'll be right back." She smiled and left.

Kate sagged a bit and leaned against me wrapping her arms around me more fully. I pressed a kiss to her temple, "I really am ok."

"I know you are." She turned her head into my shoulder, "Just don't ever have the boys mention off hand that you're in the ER, ever again."

"Images of me bleeding and dying without you flood your mind."

"Something like that." I could hear the smile in her voice.

**Rumor Has It – Adele**

"Yo Beckett!" Esposito yelled coming into the bullpen with Ryan.

"Hmm…" was my only response as I continued to hang pictures on the murder board.

"Rumor has it that you and Castle are finally hitting the sheets." He says as the two of them coming to a stop on either side of me under the guise of looking at the murder board.

I couldn't help myself, I laughed. "Rumor has it? Hitting the sheets? What are you guys twelve?"

Ryan tried to fumble a save, "Well we just thought that you guys have been acting more couply lately… well more than you used to and… you would tell us if you guys were…" Ryan stalled.

"…hitting the sheets?" I supplied, amused.

Esposito apparently wasn't letting this go, "If you were you'd tell us though, right? It's not like you guys have been having sex for months and we haven't noticed."

"You guys are detectives, you tell me." I rounded the desk picking up the folder trying so hard not to laugh at them, even though I could feel their perplexed stars, as they tried to figure it out.

"I'm gonna say…" Esposito looked at me narrowing his eyes, "Yes you are."

Ryan looked at him and then back at me, "Really dude are you sure?"

Esposito nodded with, I'll call it an approving look, on his face. "Yeah in fact I'm willing to bet that they've been sleeping together for a couple of months."

Ryan still looked contemplative, "If that's true then they are way better at hiding it that you and Lanie were." Earning him a warning look from Esposito.

But just then I saw Castle rounding the corner clutching our morning coffee. "Morning boys," he gave them a nod as he passed them to give me my cup.

"Morning," I smiled and leaned in to brush a kiss over his lips, rewarded with his eyebrows shooting straight up. "The gig is up."

He smiles now, "Oh in that case," he leans in and steals another kiss, "Morning."

"Precinct rules still apply." I smile at him as I pull away, giving his side a gentle pat.

He makes a face, "But Kate…"

"Castle, it's still a work place," I chide.

"But now they know." He pouts, gesturing to the boys whose eyes look like they're going to fall out and jaws are hanging open.

I laugh, amused again, "Mouths closed, eyes back in head we've got a case to solve."

"You're really together?" Esposito gestures between us, "You're not just messing with us?"

Castle's arm sudden wraps rather possessively around my middle, pulling me back against him, "I couldn't mess around with this."

The boys both studied us for another moment. "Ok. Good for you guys," Ryan finally nodded, glancing at Esposito who just gave him a nod.

Then he moved on. "Alright, so I was talking to CSU and they found some unidentified fibers on the body, they're trying to figure out where they came from."

**For Your Entertainment – Adam Lambert**

"For your entertainment." He laid the copy of the paper down in front of me.

"What did you do this time, Castle?" I asked picking it up looking to see if he'd somehow made it onto the front cover again. "Did you land yourself on page six for some ridiculous thing that you managed to do while I was with my dad."

"Well I did land myself on page six but not because of something I've done." He grinned at me plunking down in his chair so that he could lean against the desk and watch me.

So to amuse him I unfolded the paper to page six expecting to see a picture of his mischievous grin. Instead, I was greeted with a half page ad of the Nikki Heat movie as two tickets fluttered into my lap. "Castle, what are these?" I asked laying the paper down and picking up the tickets.

"Two tickets to the New York premiere of Heat Wave." A cat ate the canary look taking over his face.

I quirked my eyebrow at him, "Seriously?"

He almost looked affronted. "Yes, seriously. It's a movie based on my book, about you, set in New York City of course they're having a New York premiere."

"So, I'm to assume that one of these tickets is for me and the second is for a date of my choosing," I asked very seriously, rewarded by him swallowing hard.

"Well I was thinking… that we'd you know go together… Since we're … but if you want to take some one else I'd be happy…" He was floundering so much is was really rather adorable.

"Chill Castle, I don't want to go with anyone else. I don't really want to go at all, but someone will have to keep you in line at this thing."

The sparkle was back in his eyes, "Really you'll come with me?"

"Yes, I'll go with you. Is this how you reacted when a girl said she'd go to prom with you?"

He relaxed now, leaning back in the chair. "I'll have you know that girls asked me to prom. Anyway this means that I get to see you in a fancy dress and have an excuse to hold your hand at work."

I shook my head, folding up the paper and setting the tickets on top of it so that I could use my keyboard again. "You know who I would like to invite though, if we can?"

He now looked at me curiously, "Who?"

"My dad." I asked biting my lip nervous about this for some reason.

Castle, however just smiled, "Already sent him a ticket. The boys, Gates, and like half the precinct are coming as well."

He really could be the most wonderful person sometime. "Well at least we'll be amongst friends," I managed to say before my phone rang, "Beckett."

I took down the details before hanging up the phone, "And now for your entertainment: we have a case." I stood pulling on my jacket, before leaning over to brush a kiss across his cheek, "Thanks Rick."

**Lean On Me – Bill Withers**

I was sitting on the couch in the break room, head cradled in my hands, taking slow deep breaths. I'd completely wigged over nothing, but I was still taking me a little while to pull myself together. Once we'd heard from her, determining that she was just up at the prison and that was why she hadn't been answering her phone the boys had gone back to business as usual. Cleaning up the white board, packing away the case and filing the paperwork. My hands were too jittery though so I'd excused myself to the break room to pull myself together before she got back.

I must have been in there longer than I thought though because the next thing I could focus on was her weight settling onto the couch next to me, as she slid an arm across my back and rested her head against my shoulder. She didn't say anything for a long while, and I was content to keep the silence, just breath in the cherry scent of her lotion and vanilla from her perfume.

"I'm sorry I scared you," she finally whispered.

"You… don't be sorry…" I stuttered, "You're fine… you're fine I over reacted… unreasonable… If anyone should be sorry it should be me."

"Castle," it's soft and gentle as she lifts her head off my shoulder so that she can settle her chin there instead, "I should have told you I was going to the prison and my phone was low on battery. I'm sorry I didn't." She leaned in a pressed a kiss to my cheek before settling back to just watch me.  
>Inhaling deeply, "I can't freak out like that though. Every time you're unreachable, I can't be a mess what if you actually need me?" I rotated my head looking at her now our faces inches apart.<p>

She smiled, that gentle endearing smile she has for me when she thinks something is just so sweet. "Then you'll pull yourself together just like you always do and come get me. The boys said you were fine until you found out I was ok and that you've been in here ever since."

"Yeah… yeah, I was just relieved… Kate… we hadn't heard from you in hours."

She carded a hand through my hair, "I know. I know," She smiled, "but I'm fine and you're fine and all we have left in this god forsaken day is a pile of paperwork and then you can take me home, feed me, and we'll take a bath together." She stood up holding a hand out to help me off the atrocious vinyl couch, "Come on writer I could use your help."

Allowing myself to be pulled up off the couch I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her hard pressing my nose into her hair, "I just love you so much."

"I know you do. I love you too." She squeezed back, "Lets finish the paperwork."

**Hard To Concentrate - Red Hot Chili Peppers**

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap. "Castle," She snaps.

"What?" I feign innocence knowing exactly what she's annoyed about.

"Stop. With the pen," she growls, shoving a frustrated hand through her hair, trying to regain her concentration on the paperwork in front of her.

"Sorry," I apologize immediately setting aside the marker I'd been rhythmically tapping against the armrest and pulled out my phone, starting up a new game of angry birds.

"Stop," comes the exasperated groan from her.

"What am I doing now?" I thought I'd been being quiet.

"I can see you making faces as you play. It's distracting."

I scoff, "Well it's not my fault you can't keep your eyes on the paperwork."

She looks somewhere between pissed and amused, "Why are you even here?"

"We have plans tonight, in case you've forgotten. So I'm not going to leave you here to drown in paperwork and then cancel because you can't see me pout when you call."

She laughs, her head thrown back hair tumbling over her shoulders as she reaches out to lay a hand over mine. "I can hear you pout through the phone, don't worry." I grin back at her, "And I have no intention of canceling on you. I really want to be done with these and you are making it very hard to concentrate."

"So be done and let's just go," I ask hopefully. I've only gotten her to play hooky once and that was 'cause I already had her naked in bed.

"Can't," she frowns, looking at the stack of paper in front of her, she's actually managed to get through most of it. She looks back at me, "Can you just sit still for 10 minutes?"

"I can try." I nod putting my phone away and settling in to just watch her.

We didn't make it two minutes before she sighed, "Castle can you just go wait in the break room?"

I nod, "Sure. Ten minutes though and then I'm dragging you out of here."

She nods, "Fair enough."

It's not even ten minutes before she's in the break room wearing her coat. "Hi," she says softly extending a hand to help me up.

"All done?"

"Um-hm," she purrs against me, "much quicker without you distracting me."

"Don't let Gates hear that, she's always thought I was a distraction."

"You were," Kate replies capturing my lips softly sliding her arms around my neck.

That little fact makes me really happy, "Well we should go before we do something very distracting."

"Ok," She sighs happily and leads the way to the elevator.

**Loud Music – Michelle Branch**

You know what's intimidating? Your girlfriend's father cornering you at a small party to just chat real quick. Don't get me wrong, I like Jim a lot. Generally, it feels like we're on the same side, but somehow that is not the feeling that I'm getting as he steers me into the corner of the living room even as the rest of the party is standing in the kitchen listening to Martha regale them with some story or another.

It's Kate's birthday, and while she insisted that we not do anything special I'd invited everyone over for dinner and cake. And Kate had actually smiled when I'd opened the door to everyone standing in the living room with goofy party hats on. Now this all feels like a big mistake if means that I have to have a chat with the girlfriend's dad. I feel like I'm fifteen again. I'm in my forties he really shouldn't set me this on edge.

Deep breath, "How's it going Jim?" I'm going for jovial, despite the fact that my hands are super sweaty, I feel like it's prom night again.  
>He smiles, and I feel like he knows he has me on edge. "Everything is going really well. This is a nice shindig."<p>

"She didn't want to celebrate at all. But dinner and cake with friends I figured that was normal enough..." and it was based on her smile as my mother regaled the group with a story, which particular one I'm not sure I care to know.

I can hear Jim chuckle next to me, and I have to tear my eyes away from my muse to look at her father. "This is exactly what she needed Rick. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about"

I swallow, "What exactly was that?"

"Katie, she's stubborn… well you know that. Heck evidence points to you being more stubborn than she is." He takes a sip of the coke that he's been nursing since we got here, "I just wanted to tell you that you're good for her. Since her mom she hasn't really let herself be happy, until you showed up to annoy her on a regular basis."

I scoff, "Annoy her?"

"Her words not mine." Jim laughs at me, "Relax Rick, I know you're going to marry her. I probably knew before either of you."

"You are apparently omnipotent then," I smile the tension flowing out of my shoulders.

He shakes his head. "She's so much like her mother, stubborn to the end but the minute she laughed when she told a story about you without me asking about work or you I knew that was it."

I can see the memory he's talking about swimming behind his eyes and I'm dying to know when this was. "When was that?" I try for nonchalant.

"Not on your life, I have to save something for the reception speech." He winks, he actually winks at me. "Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about was the ring." He shifts his weight, uncomfortably.

The box hiding in the carved out copy of _In A Hail of Bullets_ flashes into my mind, "Oh. I already bought one." I suddenly realize that maybe he wanted me to use Johanna's but there's so much pain and history wrapped up in that ring that I didn't want to bring to the floor with the idea.

Much to my surprise Jim looks relieved, "Oh good. She's been carrying her mom's ring around for too long. She needs something that's just hers with good memories, with happy memories."

"Do you want to see it?" I ask. I haven't shown it to anyone yet, I've only had it six months and I'm still waiting for the right moment, but it seems like Jim would be the person to show it too.

He shakes his head, "Nah. I'd rather see it when she has it on her finger. Any idea when that'll be?" He's staring me down, trying to make me sweat.

And it works, I fumble. "Well I ah… I'm waiting for the right… I just haven't…"

"What are you boys doing over there?" Kate, wonderful Kate, calls across the room saving me.

"Just giving him a hard time Katie, nothing to worry about." Her dad answers before I get the chance though.

"Give him hell Dad." She laughs and turns back to my mother, abandoning me to her father.

**Warm Ways – Fleetwood Mac**

"How do you always know?" I ask softly in the morning light. He's been awake for a few minutes now, but neither of us have moved.

"Know what?" he asks groggily.

"To put your hand over it."

"Kate it's too early for riddles." He whines sleepily letting his eyes drift closed.

"My scar, on my ribs you seem to always know to put your hand over it keep it warm so it doesn't get tight overnight. How do you know to do that?"

"It's comfortable." He now moves the hand that I'd been wondering about just a little bit up and down. The arm it's attached to is wrapped around my back because my chest is pressed against his, so my head is settled on his shoulder.

"Nothing magic to it then," I smile.

"Nope, you usually cuddle more when you're tired and achy though, like you're looking for furnace."

"I do?"

He opens his eyes and smiles at me now, "Yeah you do. I'm not complaining though. I like you when you're cuddly."

"When I'm cuddly my scar needs more warmth?"

"Hey you're the one that asked me how I know," he sort of shrugs, "I never thought about it, I just like holding you and that's where my hand falls.

How did this get complicated?" His brow crinkles.

"Thank you," I whisper, pressing a kiss to the skin under my face.

"For what?"

"For knowing me so well that you fix problems without even trying."

"Any time." He says softly, "It goes both ways you know."

It's my turn to be confused, "What does?"

"Knowing me so well that you fix my problems without even trying."

"What problems?"

"I am tired and achy too but I never have to bring you to me. You always just come."

"It's where I want to be," I tell him honestly.

"And it's where I need you to be so it all works out just perfectly," he's grinning.

"Castle…" I try and sound admonishing but I can hear it fail complete.

"Does it not?" He asks, and all the sudden this seems to have become a much heavier conversation than it started out.

So I go for keeping it light, "Just perfectly."

**White Flag – Dido**

"I don't understand, why doesn't she just kiss him?" she groans from my shoulder, as the couple on screen has yet another will they or won't they moment and you could swear that they are just about to kiss and then life, or rather the script, interferes.

"Because things are never that simple on TV," I smirk, playing with her hair.

"Okay, well why doesn't he just kiss her?"

"They want you keep watching so they string it out." I explain, even though I know she knows this.

"You didn't do that," she's looking up at me. "Nikki and Jameson slept together by the middle of the first book."

"Well that was not originally a series if you remember, besides it was a coping mechanism."

"Coping mechanism?" She's quirked an eyebrow adorably.

I smile, "Yeah, coping."

Then it dawns on her, "Oh coping…" Laughter is in her eyes as she turns back to the maddening on screen couple, "He should still just kiss her."

"You are such a shipper." I laugh, poking her gently

"So?" she doesn't sound even remotely offended.

"It's incongruous with kick ass Kate Beckett."

"Yeah well I'm complicated." She shrugs.

"Oh that's why it took you four years?" I tease.

She smacks me, "It only took me two to figure it out."

"What?"

"Yeah that summer you asked me to the Hamptons I was going to say yes, and then Gina showed up."

"You're kidding?" I pause the DVD this conversation definitely required my full attention.

She sits up, "No."

"You mean that the last two years were a result of that?"

"Maybe not just a result of that, but it was a contributing factor."

"I'm an idiot," I groan.

Her finger lands on my lips as she crawls into my lap. "Nonsense, this is exactly perfect then I would still have been a mess over my mom's case and my priorities wouldn't line up. Now I know that you come first because you are what matters."

I kiss her, "See, TV characters aren't the only ones that are complicated."

Sliding down next to me again leaving her leg draped over my lap, settling her head back on my shoulder she asks, "You think we ever had our own shippers?"

"Aside from the precinct and my family?" She nods, "Oh probably just everyone we met."

**Whatever It Takes – Lifehouse**

_"Whatever it takes Castle."_

_He could only nod in return she was so serious in this moment it would be almost comical if they weren't fighting for their lives._

_"Castle, I need you to say you understand. I need to hear you say you'll do whatever it takes to get out of here and make sure at least one of us gets home to our little boy."_

_"Kate don't do this."_

_"Rick, just promise me that. He needs at least one parent."_

_"He needs both of us," he tries to argue._

_But she's having none of it. "Just go Castle, please," she asks and before he can tell her that, he loves her or anything else the quiet of the room is ripped apart by the sound of gunfire._

He sits up gasping hard, eyes opening to realize that he was in the precinct break room. He must have fallen asleep when he sat down to wait for the coffee to brew. Just a dream, just a dream. He repeats to himself shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of the nightmare, before getting up to pour the coffee that he'd come in to make half an hour ago.

Clutching both their cups he wanders back into the bullpen, focusing on the heat coming through the ceramic. She's still standing at the white board where he left her though and she smiles at him tiredly as he approaches, gratitude lacing her features at the sight of the coffee. "There you are. I was beginning to organize a search party."

"Sorry, fell asleep." He tells her with a wry smile handing her the cup, trying to hide the lingering fear in his eyes.

She doesn't miss it though. Taking the coffee with one hand and catching his wrist with the other, she abandons the murder board and its mystery for the living breathing one in front of her. "What's wrong?" she asks. He shakes his head, hoping that will discourage her, but it only makes her press harder, "Castle, tell me."

"Nightmare," he finally admits on a sigh.

"Because of the case," she asks softly taking a step closer to him, trying to soothe him with just her proximity. He closes his eyes and nods, not wanting to see the worry in hers. "Are you ok?"

Closed eyes don't offer much of a reprieve for him though and he's forced to open them again and look into her green and gold ones, "Just promise me you'll never make me leave you."

"Why would I…" she starts and realizes that it doesn't really matter at this point he just needs the reassurance after whatever picture it was his mind had given him. "I'll never make you leave."

They both know it's not possible and there's going to be times when she asks him to go and he has to and in the future the picture his mind supplied him with is possible but for now those are the words he needs.

**Sleep – My Chemical Romance**

"Dude, have you seen Castle or Beckett?" Esposito asked dropping, the file he was holding on his desk peering around the bullpen, hoping that they'd miraculously appear somewhere.

"No, I think they went to get coffee." I glanced at my watch, "But that must have been two hours ago. Weird." Now I'm peering around the room, hoping that they mysteriously materialize from somewhere because the last time they disappeared there was a tiger involved. "They have been running on fumes maybe Castle convinced her to go home and get some sleep?" I asked hopefully, pulling out my phone to see if I'd missed a call from her.

"Call Beckett, I've got Castle." Espo makes a face pulling out his phone.

We both wait, impatiently, for the phones to connect only problem is we hear the answering ring from the Beckett's desk. Sure enough, her white phone is sitting next to her keyboard and his is on the edge next to his chair. "Castle never goes anywhere without his phone."

"Brilliant insight. You should be a detective."

"Har, har. I'm just saying they have to be around here somewhere." We're both looking around the room hoping they're sitting at the conference room table or something. But no sign.

"They're probably in a closet somewhere." Esposito laughed, sitting back down.

Beckett hasn't exactly allowed any form of PDA at work, in fact we've only seen them kiss a couple of times. I've only caught them holding hands once, it's a testament to their relationship that they seem to only be able communicate relationship stuff in subtext and smiles. Not that that didn't get them into plenty of messes before they figure it out, but they seem to be getting along alright now. "You're probably right," I shrug standing, "I'm going to go get some coffee you want anything?'

"A donut if there's any left," he answers, without even looking up.

I make it to the break room door and realize that I've located our missing partners. "Espo" I hiss across the bullpen.

"What bro? If there's no donuts then I'm fine."

"No," I shake my head, "Come here."

Shoving off his desk he comes over to me, "Man, I actually have… Oh this is too good." He whipped out his phone and started taking pictures. Castle with his head tipped back against the couch, mouth open, eyes close with his arm slung over our fearless leader. She was cuddled into his side, face smashed against his button down, one hand grasping at the material.

"We should wake them?" I'm skeptical if this is a good idea, mostly because they're so short of sleep, but the chances they're caught by Gates grow with every passing minute.

Snapping a final picture, Espo shrugs. "Better to be caught by us than the Captain," turning into the room. "Rise'n Shine Boss, Castle," he yells, startling them both.

"Javi, why are you yelling?" Beckett asks blearily from Castle's chest even as he shakes his head trying to clear the cobwebs.

"To send you guys home for some actual sleep." He answers.

"We've got it from here, we'll see you in the morning."

Castle just blinks and nods sleepily; Beckett is a little more graceful. "Thanks… I'll just get my stuff." She gets up and leaves the room.

"You have pictures?" Castle asks.

Espo rolls his eyes, "Duh."

"Cute or blackmail?"

"Blackmail only works on her, why you want a copy?" Espo is glaring at Castle, whose standing now.

"If there's a good one," he claps us both on the shoulder, "now if you'll excuse me I'm taking my girlfriend home."

**Tangled – Maroon 5**

"These are a mess." I called across the loft to where he was trying to finagle the tree upright in the corner he insisted it belonged in.

"They're Christmas lights of course they're a mess. Unless they're on display or in brand new packaging they're always tangled."

"Rick, that's ridiculous if you just put them away properly last year then they wouldn't be a mess now."

"Well then you can be in charge of putting them away this year," he yelled back appearing from behind the tree. "In the meantime they need untangled. We can't have a naked Christmas tree."

"Only you would worry about a naked Christmas tree." I smiled shaking my head, as he walked over to join me.

"One of the many reasons you love me." He grinned kissing my cheek, "Oh, these are a mess." He grimaces looking at the box which was a rats nest of Christmas lights.

"You thought I was kidding?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"No, I just think that your definition and my definition of mess are different. But even by my definition these are a mess." He bent over to tug on what looked like a loose strand, which only resulted in them all lifting out of the box a fraction to reveal more of the tangled mess. "New plan," he nodded his head, "get your coat."

"My coat?"

"We're going to get new, not tangled lights."

"Castle?"

"You want to untangle them?"

I looked down at the hopeless box, "Do you think that's even a possibility?"

He laughed, "No, I don't think that's possible which is why we're going to get new lights."

"Alright." I sighed, "It seems like a waste."

"Be my guest detective." He was grinning knowing he had me.

"Get your coat."

CASTLE

"This is nice." I said taking the cup of hot chocolate he'd handed me as we sat down in front of the tree.

Throwing an arm over my shoulder he pulled me against his side. "It is. Everything is right with the world it's snowing during the Christmas season my daughter is going to be home for break tomorrow and we're going to celebrate our first Christmas together."

"Are you sure Alexis won't be upset that we did the tree without her?"

"She's fine with it, besides we left her the rest of the apartment and that's her thing. I've always done the tree and she's decorated the rest of it."

"Always?"

"Yeah even when she was little."

"That must have been a sight."

"Well she's always gone with a theme." He smiled remembering fondly, "They've gotten more sophisticated with time, but there's always a theme."

"That sounds nice," I sighed leaning into his side, yawning.

"Wore you out decorating a tree."

"It's a good thing you bought more lights, otherwise we'd still be untangling them."

"I think they would have eaten us first."

"Castle…" I groan despite the smile on my face.

**Grenade – Bruno Mars**

The building shook, the sound of things crashing to the floor as it fell off desks and the screams of people taken completely by surprise echoed through the room. And then there was just a second of deadly silence where every person took the second to brace themselves for the possibility for the continued shake of an earthquake or the eerie silence of something much more deadly.

Nothing followed, and then a building of hundreds trained to deal with, and work with the worst possible scenarios became alive again. Names being called as the situation was dealt with, making sure that everyone was fine. And then they went on to investigate.

But one name went unanswered. Which is not uncommon, he's not always there given that he's not actually trained to be there. But he's not answering the rings of his phone, and his partner is standing in the middle of chaos trying hard to remember to breath and not get in anyone's way as it rings, and rings again.

She has to find him so while everyone else makes their way to the street in front of the precinct to survey the damage, to put their training to use. She pushes her way through the crowd of officials to the perimeter that had been established to keep them contained and the lookers out.

They won't let her through. Everyone has to stay. She knows the reasoning, and under any other circumstance she wouldn't even be questioning it. But she can't go any further so she surveys the crowd. Searching, searching, desperately hoping that he's out there and not one of the bodies that was just a touch too close. There's only a few of them but the possibility that one of them is him is just too high for her.

And then she hears it. Her name. Her first name. She knows it him, and she whips her head around searching for him. Looking so desperately to put a face to the voice. And then she finds it. He's on the other side of the perimeter pressing against the hastily erected barriers trying to get in. Fortunately he was more determined to get in than she was to get out and he managed to volt the barricade and run across to her before the rookie uniform could stop him.

They crashed into each other, somewhere between the fire trucks and a squad car from the 38th. A tangle of confused limbs, as they struggled to stay upright. Her face pressed into his collar and his into her hair, both of them breathing deeply, inhaling each other, trying to calm their hearts and ease their minds.

Its minutes before either of them say anything and then it's just a jumble of_ thank gods, couldn't get through, I was so worried._ Before they give up and hug each other one more time before breaking resuming their usual stance. Partners. They'll do what they do best and then later they'll finish reassuring each other.

**Citizen Soldier – 3 Doors Down**

She's coiling her hair into a bun at the base of her neck, taming the locks into something sensible. The Mayor is giving her an award today, key to the city I think, for an act of valor. An act of valor that involved her diving into the Hudson River to save two drowning kids, but I try not dwell on that.

It means dress blues, and taming the hair so that she can wear the hat. She looks so young. I can see her at twenty-three, fresh out of the academy about to go on her first patrol, determined to do everything by the book. It's as she's sliding the last bobby pin into place that I catch her eye, "Like what you see?" She smiles turning on the spot for me to inspect her, like a small girl in her new dress.

"Just thinking how young you look," I tell her, as she steps closer.

"Can't be too young, I've got too much hardware." She taps the collection of colorful pins on her chest.

"What do all of those even mean?" I ask following her into the bedroom.

She scoops her hat off the bed and flips it onto her head. "This one's for making detective." She taps one sort of in the middle, "The rest are years of service and accommodations."

"You look good," I tell her with a smile.

She rolls her eyes, "I look the same as I always have in this thing."

"Exactly." I agree crossing the room to her.

She smirks happily and rocks up on the toes of the hideous shoes. "You're sweet," She says against my lips, kissing me lightly. "Ready?" She asks leading the way out of the bedroom.

"I wish I'd known you then," comes unbidden from my lips.

"Known me when?" She asks easily, calling the elevator as she waits for me to lock the door.

Coming to stand next to her, "When you were a young fresh faced rookie."

She laughs that beautiful free laugh that usually accompanies tumbling hair, "Oh Castle I would have chewed you up and spit you out."

"Who says you haven't chewed me up already?" I ask crowding her into the elevator.

"Well I promise not to spit you out." She whispers looping her arms around my neck, and exaggeratedly tilting her head to compensate for the hat as she captures my mouth in a kiss brimming with promise.

**Because – The Beatles**

It's storming outside, thunder booming and lightning crackling as water pours from the heavens and blissfully this pair is lying in bed, stated and happy. The covers have been pulled up over their bodies. They're laying on their sides just looking at each other, "I love you because of the way your eyes sparkle when you're excited," she whispers, bringing a hand up to trace his jaw line.

He smiles back, "I love you because you're sexy holding a gun."

"Because you know my coffee order," she continues.

And so they begin trading back and forth reasons, "Because you let me take care of you. You let me love you."

"Because I love your stories, and when you spin them at every opportunity."

"Because you smile at my goofy theories." He traces her lips, "Just how you smile at me."

"Because you're always holding my hand." She tangles their fingers

He pulls her closer, "because you're a cuddler."

"Because you always have my back, even if I don't give you a gun."

"Because you read real books, and my books, and comic books, and you know magic tricks." His eyes light up as he remembers that.

"Because you spoil me," She presses a kiss to the nearest piece of skin, "because you take care of me."

"Because you smile into my kisses." He kisses her smile.

"Because you are a wonderful father and a fabulous son."

"Because you always check that I'm good before you enter a room."

"Because you take care of my friends."

"Because you love my family and they love you."

"Because you're a big kid at heart."

"Because you put up with my fans."

"Because you adore them."

"Because you look stunning wearing a gun or a dress, or without a stitch."

"Because of the way your fingers skate across my skin when were making love." She demonstrates.

"Because you love that I'm a big kid and play with me."

"Because you know how to make me laugh."

"Because for a coffee fiend you can't seem to make the espresso machine work," He teases.

"Because your face is priceless when you learn something new about me."

"Because there's always something new to learn about you."

"Because you always come back." She whispers, becoming more serious than they had been.

And he's compelled to assure her, "Because you always take me back."

"Because you always know when I need space, and when I need to talk."

"Because you're always there to help me."

"Because you waited."

"Because you found me, because you saved me."

"Because of your words."

"Because once we jumped in, you've never looked back."

"Because I never have the words but you let me show you how much I love you."

"Because there are never enough words." He assures her, and he's right there are never enough words and so they stop using words.

**Going Under - Evanescence**

"You don't have to do this Kate."

"What do you want me to do? Give up? Walk away? Surrender? That doesn't work I already tried that and it came back even though I walked away."

"You don't have to dive head first down the rabbit hole."

"I can't wait for it to come and get me."

"You don't have to go down the rabbit hole at all.

"Castle… I already told you I don't have a choice it's coming and I have to put an end to it."

"That's just it Kate it isn't just you. You keep saying_ I don't have a choice, I can't walk away_."

"Who is there but me?"

"You vastly underestimate how much I love you if you think that it's just you in this. Where you go I follow that much should be evident by now. I got you and I'm not letting you go."

"Rick… You and I… you're not a cop I can't take you away from your daughter, your mother… god I love them too much to hurt them like that."

"You think that if you disappear that I won't be a wreck? That, that won't take me from them in just as a horrible manner? It'll be a waking nightmare Kate. I can't let you do this alone no matter what."

"We're not enough to win Castle."

"But you by yourself is?... I don't think so. That's you sacrificing yourself when you don't have to."

"Who else is there?"

"Let's start with Ryan and Esposito. You're not just their boss you're their big sister, and best friend. You're their guiding light in this job even when everything else goes wonky, they will follow you to the ends of the earth whether or not you ask them too. What about Gates?"

"She could give a shit."

"I'm not her biggest fan either but I've seen how she watches you Kate. You're everything she never got to be. You get to bend the rules, remake the game, and win at the end of the day in a way that she never got to. From the day she set foot in here she never wanted anything but for you to be the best Detective out there."

"She wanted you gone for the first year. I'm not at my best without you."

"I'm unorthodox. She came around eventually. But you don't think she won't raise the troops to bring an end to reign that has tormented her city quietly for years then the meaning of _Iron Gates_ has gone over your head... Kate she's the only women in this city that is more determined than you are."

"What if we lose?"

"Then it won't be for lack of numbers, or sheer will. It will because New York is no longer standing."

...

"I love you."

"Good. Now get your head on straight and remember that you're not doing this by yourself."

"I can do that."

...

"Kate, I love you too."

**Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna**

She disappeared ten minutes ago with no hint of where she was headed. She just disappeared leaving me to sit in my chair and play with my phone. I was in the middle of trying to come up with a decent word in my game with Alexis when I felt her behind me, "I have a surprise for you," her breath hot against my ear, setting my blood on fire.

"You do?" I could feel my eyebrows shoot up as I swiveled to take her in. She'd apparently disappeared to change, seeing as now she was wearing tight jeans, boots and one of many leather jackets. And then my eyes zeroed in on the helmet, she was clutching.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could go for a ride." She grins saucily at me, striding towards the elevator hitting the down button and I've yet to move. I think I'm frozen to my seat. "You coming Castle?" I can hear her laughing at me as I scramble over to her just as the elevator opens.

Fortuitously the elevator is empty so when she hit the garage button and the doors slide closed I crowded her up against the wall. "Seriously?" I breathe roughly in her ear before capturing her lips in a thorough kiss that lasted until the chime indicating we'd arrived pierced the air.

Pushing me away she grins clearly pleased with herself. "If I'd known you'd get this riled up about it we would have gone sooner." She says sauntering into the garage.

"Liar." I follow, "You've been teasing me with the fact that you own a motorcycle for years."

Her laughter echoes around the concrete garage as we round the corner and there it is. "Tada," She says breathlessly opening the container on the back and pulled out a second helmet tossing it to me.

Of course, I manage to fumble it, and it clatters to the floor leaving me to chase after it. When I finally manage to catch it and upright myself she's now straddling the bike, smiling at me. "Oh that's so hot." Manages to escape my lips and I pull out my phone to snap a picture of her.

Shaking her head with a roll of her eyes she pulls her helmet on. "Come on Castle." She revs the engine walking the bike out of the spot, stopping in front of me. "Well get on. Otherwise I'll leave without you." She revs the engine again startling me into action.

"Right." I pull the helmet on, and scrambled onto the bike behind her following her directions as to where to put my feet before wrapping my arms around her waist. "Can I drive this sometime?" I ask as we pull out of the garage.

"Not a chance Castle." Comes back to me, before she peels out onto the road weaving into traffic.

**Follow You Home – Nickleback**

I'd left. I'd slammed the door behind me and I'd left. Told him I need time, and I left. Then I'd driven around the city for at least an hour before I'd convinced myself that I just needed to go home. So now I was dragging my sorry, angry and pissed off self out of the elevator intending to pour myself into bed and just try to not think about it. To try to not deal with it.

But that wasn't going to be an option because he was there. Just leaning against my door, watching me, waiting for my reaction. "You said you needed time, not space."

"Castle…" I groaned I really didn't want to do this now. Not when I was so mad at him.

"No. You said time not space, the last time I gave you both of those you disappeared for three months. I'm not letting you do that again." There's a hard quality to his voice, a very serious quality that I've rarely heard.

I'm too wound up and too tired to do anything but nod because he's right and that's my fault. "Fine," I tell him as he stands and moves so I can slide the key into the lock, "But you're sleeping on the couch."

"Fine," he agrees, following me in making no move to crowd me or even talk to me, just being there.

I ignore him, and go about my business getting ready for bed, listening to him, waiting for him to come and get me, to come and try and make me talk.

But he never does, and as I cross from my bathroom to my bedroom I can see him propped up on the couch blanket across his legs and he's just staring at the ceiling. Whatever, if that's where he wants to be he can be there, I think to myself closing my bedroom door firmly behind me and crawling into bed.

Except sleep doesn't come, and neither does a coherent though, I'm just lying there in my cold bed staring at the clock, not getting any sleep what so ever. I know the problem, and I know the solution. What pisses me off is that he was right so it takes me an extra half hour before I get out of bed and wrench open my door with more force than necessary, and pad into the living room.

"Rick?" I say quietly into the room.

"Yeah?" comes the gruff reply from the couch.

"Come to bed." I tell him, before turning and going back into my room leaving the door open as I crawl under the covers.

It doesn't take long before he's joining me, laying down on his side, not being any more presumptive than that. "I'm still mad at you," I whisper into the darkness.

"I know."

"I still love you," I tell him because I feel like that's what he fears.

The sigh of relief from the other side tells me I'm right. "I love you too," he tells me tangling our fingers in the middle of the bed and we finally both drift off to sleep.

**Marry the Night – Lady Gaga**

It's the first warm night of spring. So far the days have been warming up and then at night the city has plunged back down into freezing temperatures. But today was the first time that we'd left the precinct and I felt like an idiot for bringing my coat with me because I hadn't needed it at all.

She'd laced her fingers through mine as we'd left work and leaned into my shoulder, "Come home with me?" She'd asked softly waving goodbye to the boys.

I just nodded, normally she came home with me, or she'd go home by herself for a bit and then come over, or called me later and had me come over. Not that any of this mattered; I'd go wherever she wanted me too. She had this happy, light, content look about her as she smiled at me softly, climbing into the car, and I was more than happy to spend time with her while she was like this.

It turned out she had a whole plan that involved making me dinner and eating it on the little rooftop patio she had, just so that we could enjoy the beautifully warm evening. She had all these candles and lanterns hiding all over the small space so even as the sun faded from sky and black took over the sky the patio was bathed in a soft warm light. Adding to her happy, content look, "You're gorgeous today." I told her as she came over to perch herself in my lap.

"Just today?" She asked amused, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Well all the time. But you're very glowy and happy today."

"I love spring," she sighs, looking out at the city, before looking back at me, "and I love you. So why shouldn't I be happy."

I swallow, she's told me she loves me, but it's not usually so carefree and unprompted. It makes me feel even buoyant, "Yup, gorgeous all the time."

Which nears me a gentle chuckle. "Such a way with words you have Mr. Castle," she teases.

"They got me you."

"No they didn't, all your silly actions got me. Your words merely annoyed me." She was smiling whispering the words in my ear as her fingers slipped through my hair, her light pink nails gently grazing my scalp.

"Well from here on out I promise to be silly even more of the time."

"Promise?"

"If that's what you want."

"Promise you'll always make me laugh?"

"Always."

"Promise you'll marry me?" The air seems stolen from the planet.

I can't tell if she's actually asking or just telling me that she's ready whenever I am. Of course there's a ring in a drawer hiding in my office, pulling a deep breath of spring air and answer, "Promise."

"Ok." She nods against the skin of my cheek. "Rick take me inside."

"If that's what you want."

"I do."

**Sweet Home Alabama – Lynrd Skynrd**

Today had been the longest day. Somewhere between Ryan and Esposito being in a snit over who ate the last donut in the break room and acting like they were five, the tremendous about of paperwork that had piled up causing Gates to act like a watch dog until it was all filed, and Castle being tied up in meetings with Black Pawn, it had just been a long and tedious day. So I was quite happy to be sliding the key into the door of Castle's loft.

"Hey, you're home!" I heard him call from the kitchen where I'm sure he was making something delicious for dinner.

Dropping my bag I kicked off my shoes, tossed my coat over the nearby chair, "I'm home." I smile because he's already crossed to me and all I have to do is wrap my arms around his neck as he leans in for a kiss. "I missed you today," I tell him when he pulls back, as I let my head drop to his shoulder.

He hums softly running his large hands up and down my back, "I missed you too… Come on lets have some dinner." He's untangling us and the takes and hand and pulls me into the kitchen.

I perch myself on a stool and watch as he happily flits around the kitchen assembling our dinner, pouring a couple of glasses of wine. Picking up my glass, "I like this."

"The wine?"

I smile taking a sip, "Well yes the wine but I like coming home to this, to you," I clarify.

"Is this your way of trying to get me out of the precinct?" There's humor behind the question, but he wouldn't have asked if he didn't think it was at least a possibility.

I shake my head, setting the glass down, so that I can get up and round the corner. Wrapping my arms around his waist I settle my head on his shoulder as he continues to finish dinner. "No this is my way of starting a conversation about where I go home too."

"Well you go home to your apartment, or come here and come home to me."

"And what if I wanted those places to be the same thing?" I ask and he stops what he's doing so he can turn to face me.

"You want to move in?" He looks astonished at the idea that this might possibly be something that I want.

"You don't have to look so surprised."

He recovers quickly, "I'm just shocked you're the one asking."

"I'm not that bad."

He's smiling at me endearingly, "No you're not," he tucks a stray hair behind my ear, "I just was going to ask you this weekend, and you apparently got to it first."

It's my turn to grin, "So that's a yes?"

"Yes, please move in." He nods and I stretch up and capture him in a quick happy kiss, "Although if you have more shoes for my closet we're going to have a problem."

**Drop me in the Middle – Natasha Bedingfield**

"Castle?" The door to her apartment creaked open, and I mentally cursed myself for not being more organized than this. I'd meant to have everything packed up before she got home from her weekend with her dad at the cabin. Instead I was in a forest of bubble wrap, and couldn't actually see the door from my location.

"Over here."

"What are you doing?" I could hear the laughter in her voice and she set down her bags by the door and waded through the mess that I had made.

"Packing," I tried to sound innocent, hearing bubbles pop as she got closer.

There was a loud series of pops as she gave up and walking carefully and plopped herself down next to me. "Packing? Really because this looks more like playing in bubble wrap."

"I can't help it if you have so many breakable things." I pouted, that was what had gotten me into trouble in the first place. All these knick knacks that need wrapped up before they could be transferred to my apartment.

She leaned and kissed me, just a brief brush of her lips, before she rocked back popping more bubbles. "Which was why we were going to pack my apartment together."

"I wanted to surprise you."

She was smiling so she wasn't actually mad at me. "Well you did manage that, I don't think I've ever come home to an apartment of bubbles that are meant for popping." She stood, spreading a sheet of bubbles out beneath her, "Come on Castle." He held out a hand to help me up, "All this bubble wrap we have to pop at least some of it." She laughed gingerly stepping on the sheet, relishing in the noise, "Come on."

"I love you." I jumped onto the sheet with her catching around her waist so that I could spin her around, the pops and crackles of the bubble wrap filling the air. She hooked her legs around my waist and wound her arms around my neck, so that she could kiss me.

Eventually, she unwound her legs and lowered herself to the ground. "You really made a mess of this," she noted looking around.

"Yeah well, it's the thought that counts," I countered.

"Sure," she basically hummed, "It's going to take us forever to get this all clean up and to pack it up, we have to have everything out of here by Wednesday."

"We're going to hire movers that's how, then we can just supervise," I told her, "I'll get them to come tomorrow."

She grinned mischievously, "Does this mean we have time to kill before dinner with your mother and Alexis?"

"And plenty of bubbles to pop."

"Good because I missed you... Next year you'll come."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"I'd be honored."

"It's a weekend of fishing, sitting on the porch, Castle."

"And it would be with you and your dad. Think of how much I can learn about you besides your love of popping bubbles."

**It's You – Michelle Branch**

"Kate?" His voice echoes from the office where he's unpacking boxes of my books, fitting them onto the shelves between his own collection, while I merge our coffee cup collections.

"Castle?" I call back, I have no idea what he's wondering about. The whole time we were packing he was asking for the story behind every little knick-knack in the typical Castle fashion. Now we're unpacking, surely he'd gotten all the answers he need. Turning back to find the last cups only to see him coming towards me clutching one of my copy's of his books.

"What's this?" He asks holding up the book. There's a curious smile on his face as he leans against the counter.

"Well I don't know Castle, but it looks like a book."

He laughs, "Oh you're a smart ass you know that."

"It works for me." I shrug turning to add the last mugs to the cabinet.

"No, this is a signed edition of the first Derek Storm novel." He waves it at me, opening the cover to show me the words scrawled inside.

"So it is." I smile at him, he wants to know but he's not sure if he should ask. "Ask away."

"It's signed to you." He states rather obviously, before looking back at the page. "_Kate – keep looking for answers - Richard Castle._" He reads back to me, before looking up at me the questions written plainly across his face.

Leaning across the counter I take the book from him, running my fingers over the indents from the pen he'd used all those years ago. "I was still a uniform and I waited in line for like three hours on my day off to get you to sign this at a Barnes and Noble clear across town from where I was living at the time."

I look up to find him watching me completely enamored with the story. "But it was totally worth it when I got to the front of the line and you smiled that playboy grin of yours and asked my name. So I told you and you asked what I did for a living. You made this great face when I told you I was a cop," I laugh remembering because he makes it to this day, the mix between revulsion and unbridled curiosity, "and you asked me why would such a pretty girl do that?"

He's making mental notes I can see it, "What did you say?"

"That I like finding answers," I answer simply.

Standing up he makes his way around the counter. "I wish I remembered."

I shake my head turning toward him, "I don't. You have your story of how we first met and I have mine." Boosting myself up on the counter, I looped my arms around his neck as he stepped between my legs. "I was a little bit in love with you."

"Oh really?" He smirks.

I shake my head, nose brushing against his, "Who knew you'd turn out to be such a pain in my ass."

"That's not nice," he mumbles against my lips, before pulling back. "You must have captured my attention though, I don't usually write more than thanks for reading."

Capturing his lips in another kiss, "Yeah, I think I got your attention."

**I'm Not Okay (I Promise) – My Chemical Romance**

"Kate?" The panicked word came from the doorway.

"Castle." I extended my uninjured arm towards him beckoning him to come in and just hold my hand. Fortunately, he seemed to get it because he stumbled into the room take fingers in his. "I'm okay I promised," I whispered to him.

"You most certain are not," he growls.

My dad clears his throat from the other side of the bed, "I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee, give you kids a minute."

"Dad…" I try to protest.

As Rick tries to do the same thing, "Jim, you don't have to."

My dad waves his hands, "I won't be gone long," and then he slips out of the room.

I turn back to my very panicked writer. "I really am ok, just a concussion, some bruising and a broken wrist," I tell him squeezing his hand, before smoothing my thumb across his knuckles.

"None of that sounds okay," he groans.

I smile, "Fine. I'm not okay, but I will be, I promise."

"_Oh god_ Kate, you scared me so much. Of all the things that could happen to you. That have happened to us - you go and get hit by a bus," he whines collapsing into the chair next to my bed.

"It was rather poor timing on my part," I scoff.

"It just makes for a horrible story," he's still whining.

I glare at him, "I'll keep that in mind the next time a bus plows into the side of my cruiser."

He shakes his head. "Sorry, I'm being ridiculous."

"Yes, you are," I smile sadly, giving his fingers another squeeze. "I'm just glad you weren't with me, the passenger side was destroyed.

"_Oh god Kate_," he moans.

"Rick… hey, hey… Rick," his eyes come back to mine. "I'm fine, you're fine, it's going to be fine. Okay?" He nods, "You'll take me home tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah of course I will," He nods kissing my knuckles.

"We doing okay in here?" My dad is back clutching two cups of coffee, one for him and one for Castle.

I smile back at him raising our tangled fingers. "Yeah we're fine, Castle here, is just being over dramatic."

"One of us has to be," he protests smiling up at me.

**Now or Never – Josh Groban**

"I finished." She came striding into my office dropping the manuscript on the desk as she made her way around it.

Saving the document on my laptop. If it happened today those words would still be perfect and if it didn't then I could make them work too. So I shut the lid and placed it on the table next to the stack of paper reaching for her hand so that I could pull her down onto my lap. "And what did you think?"

She arranged herself in my lap keeping my her hand in mine, using the silence to evilly stretch out my pain. "I feel bad for your editor."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I pretend to be completely offended, but she's not wrong I feel bad for my editor from time to time.

She laughs, "I can tell when you got all caught up in trying to get the story out, the number of typos skyrockets."

I kiss her cheek, "Well I pay her a lot of money to put up with it so she'll survive. What did you think though, seriously?"

She sighs stringing my pain out just a little bit longer. "Well let's see…"

"You're killing me Kate," I groan.

"It was my favorite one yet." She smiles heart stoppingly and suddenly I regret her being in my lap because she deserves the whole nine yards with me on one knee with flowers and candles everywhere. "I love how good Rook is for her. It reminds me that you're good for me. Even when you drive me nuts."

Oh man she's t-ing it up perfectly for me I just have to get the words out. "You're good for me too Kate. I have no idea what I would do without you."

She smiles and settles into me. "Probably steal more police horses without your clothes."

"Hush we're being sappy here."

"Sorry go on."

"Kate, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She pressed as kiss to my neck soft and loving and as soon as that ring was on her finger I was hauling her into the bedroom, "Kate will you…"

Suddenly her phone blasted from her pocket, "Shit." She jumps at the vibration, "Sorry. Castle I'm so sorry, keep going…" she's obviously not an idiot she knew where I was going with this.

"Nope, moment's over. Answer the phone," it's still ringing, "we'll come back to this later."

She grimaces, genuinely sorry, as she fishes the offending device from her pocket. "Beckett," she answers climbing out of my lap so that she can find somewhere to write the address of the latest crime scene.

Hanging up the phone, she looks at me almost a little heartbroken, "Are you sure?" She wants me to finish but I want the whole moment and suddenly the words sitting on the computer seem absolutely perfect.

"Yeah I'm sure." I nod climbing out of my chair, "So where are we headed?

"58th and Lex." She steps in and kisses me, "When you do ask, don't worry about the answer."

**Wow – Snow Patrol**

New York is lousy with these ridiculously beautiful twenty somethings that are here to get their start in fashion, or television, or on the stage. And they're all trying too hard constantly, the wanna be fashion icons are wearing the latest ridiculous thing, the actors are looking camera ready or they're in dance clothes ready to burst out in song and dance, like we live in a musical.

So when you see a thirty something women that is completely pulled together, fashionable, but not too far-gone, just enough makeup to accentuate and not over do her features. Wow, is the only reaction. You want all of these young girls to pull their lives together so in their thirties they can stand on a street corner and look like her and you'll know they made it.

I'm sitting at a Starbucks waiting for my friend to join me, when I catch sight of this particular woman. She has to be over six foot with the stilettos that grace her feet but rather than being clumsy in them, they are a natural extension of her legs as she shifts from foot to foot.

I can just see her profile and now I know why she appears to have it all figured out, because there's no way she couldn't have looking like that. She's spectacular in person that could only be enhanced through the lenses of a camera.

She must be waiting for someone though because she keeps looking around, peering down the adjacent streets before going back to her phone like it's going to offer up the answer as to where her friend is, and getting no results.

But just as she's about to give up and cab comes to, what I like to call a New York stop, and gentleman climbs out passing bills to the driver. The change in her face is instantaneous. It's as if a fire has been lit, as her eyes sparkle and her smile blossoms. Oh yes this women must be a fantastic stage actor, my only conclusion given that I haven't seen her on TV.

The gentleman's smile is just as big as he wraps his arms around her waist picking her up to spin her in a circle, causing her to laugh, and despite the fact that I'm inside I can almost hear it. But then he sets her down and kisses her, and wow is all I'm left with.

"Whatcha watchin?" Kelly asks taking the seat across from me.

"Oh hi!" I come back to the where I am pleased to see my childhood friend across from me. Now I point out the window to the couple that is chatting rather animatedly, "I was watching her, she's a knockout, but now I'm watching them."

Kelly peers out the window, "Oh my god that's Richard Castle!" She loves him, she's dragged me to several book signings, and then Kelly let out an inhuman sound.

"What?" I'm trying not to be startled.

"That must be Kate Beckett the inspiration for Nikki Heat." Kelly is fanning herself in her excitement.

"She's a cop?" I literally can't believe it she could have it all and instead she's a cop.

"Yes she's so awesome."

I laugh now, "Kelly you're acting like you're twelve." It doesn't stop her though she just shrugs and keeps watching.

**Love Story – Taylor Swift**

"It's here!" He crows coming into the loft clutching a manila envelope.

"And what exactly is it?" I ask setting aside the novel I was reading and unfolding myself from the couch and I crossed to meet him.

"Hi," he grins and leans in and kisses me. Setting down the package he shrugs out his jacket and hangs it up in the closet, dancing in his excitement like a little kid.

I picked up the package examining it, "Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to open it myself?"

"Hey!" he snatched the package from me, "I believe it's a felony to open someone else's mail."

His excitement is rubbing off on me, "Well are you going to open it."

He waggled his eyebrows, ripping the envelope open with a flourish. Sliding out a book in a green dust jacket, "I present to you the first advanced copy of _Secret Heat_."

I roll my eyes, "Does she always have to be naked?"

He looks a little panicked for a second, "It's the sixth book, she's been naked on all the other ones, this can't not surprise you."

"It doesn't. But as long as she is I'm going to give you a hard time about it." I shake my head extending my hand for it, "Can I see?"

"You've already read it," he says it with a mischievous glint in his eye.

I purse my lips, fighting a smile; he is so up to something. "Not all of it."

"What would you like to read?"

Leaning against the counter I wave a hand, "Oh I don't know, maybe the dedication you've been keeping secret."

"Oh that." He smiles extending the book to me, "I suppose it's time."

Taking the first copy in my hands, running my fingers over the front cover before hooking my fingers around the edge and opening it. The cover creaks open in a way that only a new hard back can and I flip the first few white pages over reverently.

The words on the page stole my breath,

_To the extraordinary KB._

_I've written a lot of love stories over the years but ours is the only one I want to live._

"Rick…" I manage to say softly as I look up from the book. Only he's not standing in front of me, he's on his knee in front of me holding a perfect diamond ring. "Will you help me live that story for the rest of our lives?" He asks, smiling at me eyes glassy with tears.

I nod clutching the open book to my chest, "Yes, yes. Of course I will."

A tear escapes his eye as he stands peeling my hand from the book, so that he can slid the ring on, and then he's leaning in to kiss me, the book caught between us and neither of us caring. "I love you so much."

**If – Red Hot Chili Peppers**

We're getting ready for the launch party; she's in bathroom finishing her makeup as I tie my tie, when she starts, "If we do this…"

"What do you mean if?" I don't let her get any further.

"Hush…" she scolds coming out of the bathroom towards me, "if we do this you're sure that it'll end up being quieter?"

"Yeah. They'll get photos they like, glitzy, fancy, and couply with the ring and they won't be trying to get pictures of us at crime scenes." I abandon the tie to turn around and take her in, "Speaking a glitzy…"

"You like?" she smiles spinning allowing the skirt to flare out just a little as the beautiful blue sparkles against her skin.

Giving her a low whistle, "I like." I step closer bringing my hands to rest on her hips.

"Still wouldn't it be easier to take a picture and send a press release?" She's taking charge of my tie, carefully adjusting the length before beginning the fancier knot her dad taught her.

I shake my head trying not to upset her process. "No, they want their own pictures and we're going anyway so we might as well make a splash."

Sliding the tie tight, she gives me a calculating look, "I knew that was a press angle in there somewhere."

Picking up the hand that the ring now graces I press a gentle kiss to it, "We don't have to make the announcement this way, you can stay home, and they can decide for themselves what the dedication means."

She smacks my chest lightly, "Shut up. I'm already in the dress we're going." She's smiling so it's not so bad.

Leaning in I capture her happy lips in a gentle kiss, "The dress being on can definitely be changed." I begin a series of less chaste kisses before working my way down the exposed column of her neck.

"Later," She says half heartedly, even as the phone rings bolstering her argument, "That's the car…" she backs away giving me a gentle kiss, "You're incorrigible."

"You like it." I waggle my eyebrows at her stepping into the space she just created.

"Castle." It's a warning as her flat palm collides with my chest to keep me in place.

I hold my hands up in surrender, "Ok. Ok we're going."

"Like I had an option," She quips scooping her clutch up off the bed, "Some one has to keep you in check." She tosses a grin over her shoulder striding from the room.

"Wow, so little trust," I try to sound wounded.

Her laughter floats back to me, "I love you."

**You Don't Know – 98 Degrees**

"Hey can I talk to you about something?" He asked coming out of the office where he was supposedly writing, and clearly hadn't been if he was asking me questions.

"Sure If I can ask you something first." I shrug, it's not like I can decide.

He eyes me cautiously, "What do you want to ask?"

I hold up the two samples, "Which napkin for the reception?"

"They're the same…" he's smiling and clearly confused.

I roll my eyes, "Right or left?"

"Left." He says with a nod of his head.

I nod filling in the form with the right alphanumeric sequence. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I set all the folders aside and turn to face him.

He's clearly nervous, his hands in his pockets shoulders up by his ears.

He takes a steadying breath. "OK, this is just something that I want you to think about. I don't need an answer right now but you have no idea how much it would mean to me if you did."

"Castle spit it out."

"That's exactly it."

"What's exactly it?" This conversation is going in circles and I have no idea what he's trying to get at.

He huffs and steps closer, "Would you consider taking my last name?"

"Rick…" I'm at a loss for words.

He reaches over and picks up my hand with both of his, smoothing his thumb across the knuckles. "I don't want an answer now, and I'm willing to go eight rounds over it, and in the end if you decide not to that's fine. You could stay Detective Beckett, but if you could be Kate Castle that would mean so much to me."

"Why?" I ask bending a little bit so that I can see the eyes that he's cautiously directing anywhere but my gaze like he's afraid of what I'll see.

"Meredith and Gina refused to even consider the notion and I found that didn't bother me in the least." He finally lifts his head one hand coming to cup my jaw, "But you Kate… I really want you to be a Castle and aside from you agreeing to be my wife being able to call you Mrs. Castle, having you officially be Katherine Castle would mean the world to me."

"I'd be the only Mrs. Castle?" I'm getting weirdly choked up at how wonderfully sweet he's being. "I feel like you're proposing again."

He chuckles softly even as his eyes glisten with unshed tears, "It feels a little like that."

Stretching up to kiss him quickly, "I would never have said yes to you if I didn't want to be Mrs. Castle with or without the official name change."

"I know but I wanted to ask you to make it official."

I grin, "Expect to go at least eight rounds on this," because he's sure to come up with some wonderfully absurd reasons.

His eyes light up, "Really?"

"Really? I haven't agreed to anything yet aside from fighting with you over it." I laugh.

"You're going to say yes by the end of it though, you just want to see what I'll come up with to convince you." He says gleefully.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you could have just told me no flat out." He now kisses me hard and fast, "I think I'm going to go all out and convince you to become Detective Castle too then it'll feel like you win something when you tell me you'll be Mrs. Castle and Detective Beckett."

I can't help but laugh because he knows me too well.

**Nice and Easy – Frank Sinatra**

She had her head buried in his neck, so that he could feel the tears escaping her eyes, and her arms were locked around his waist holding her body to him so that he could feel every sob that rolled through her. All he could do was only onto her and whisper warm nonsense against her temple and as he press sporadic kisses there.

He could hear the sirens approaching, the backup that was ten minutes too late, and in the end hadn't been necessary. Part of his mind is wondering why this type of thing always seems to take place in a warehouse, another part is telling him that this time it was just to screw with her, but most of him is trying to figure out how to get her calmed down enough to talk with the arriving crews.

But she can hear them too, and she's taking deep breaths against him not moving just trying to get herself under control. "Take it easy Kate, no one is going to expect anything from you right now. Just take it easy. I'm right here."

She breathes deep again and presses a kiss to his neck as her fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt. Then she's pulling away just a little bit, but not actually untangling herself from him, just enough that she can look up at his face. "Thank you." It's all she says, it's all she can say in that moment but she's lifting up on the toes of her sneakers and brushing her lips against his.

Its soft, and light, a gesture of undying gratitude. He lets her have that before he brings his hand up to cradle the back of her head and dive deeper changing the meaning from thanks to one of undying love for her. And for the first time since he's known her, she follows without a second thought.

But then the sirens are throwing flashes of reds and blues over them and they can hear the engines of vehicles being cut, and he's the one that has the good sense to pull back. Taking a second to see a whirl of emotions cross her eyes, he doesn't let go just yet though. He holds her for a minute pressing a kiss to her forehead letting his eyes close in gratitude that this is all over and that she's still here with him and in one piece.

Now it's her that steps out of his embrace, but one hand trails down his arm until she can lace her fingers with his and give them a gentle squeeze as she gives him a soft smile. Then they head to the mass of unmarked and squad cars fingers still linked.

You can see the confusion on everyone's faces trying to figure out where they're needed what happened. But it's Esposito that finally yells for them, asking what the deal is, and only then does she say the words, "We got him."

**Surrender – U2**

"Come on Kate, you know you want to," Lanie whined at me.

"No, this is ridiculous I do not need to buy my dress here Lanie." I'm going to hold my ground there is no way I am going inside the store. "Besides I've seen enough TV to know that I would need an appointment here."

"Well if that's all that's stopping you then march your skinny butt through the door," Lanie puts her hands on her hips in a flourish of triumph.  
>I turned to look at her in horror, "Lanie what did you do?"<p>

"My part of the task," she answered giving me a shove towards the door, "that fiancé of yours is responsible for the appointment time."

"Seriously," I know that I'm looking at her flabbergasted. I barely register that she's maneuvered me inside and that Alexis and Martha are already sitting on a sofa. "Martha! Alexis!" I sort of squeak. I am glad to see them even if this is a task that I'd been kind of avoiding.

Alexis is grinning at me, "I see Lanie managed to get you inside," she gives me a quick hug.

"I'm not sure I that I had a choice," I reply leaning over to brush a kiss across Martha's cheek.

"Oh really dear, you're just going to have to surrender and let us dress shop," she teased, waving at a consultant to indicate we'd arrived and were ready.

Before I knew it I was being whisked back into rooms of tulle, organza, taffeta, silk, lace and satin. Everyone was asking what type of wedding it would be the type of dress I was looking for, but honestly it was all a blur until I stepped onto the pedestal in this dress and the three most talkative women in the city said absolutely nothing.

Alexis finally broke the quiet. "Oh Kate, it's absolutely perfect," she said so very softly coming to stand next to me.

"Richard is going to be speechless for the first time in his life when he sees you in that," Martha said as she and Lanie came to join us in the mirror.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" Lanie squeezed my hand with one of her own, the other batting away tears.

"I want my dad to see it," I breath, realizing that I have to have his approval before I can move forward with it. Fortunately, the consultant is understanding and helps me arrange another appointment so that I can bring my dad.

Adding it to my calendar I make a note to bring extra tissues.

**Just Missed the Train – Kelly Clarkson**

She was late. Really, really late. She'd promised him weeks ago that she'd be at the reading and signing. He'd even reminded her this morning when he'd left to go to the other meetings, and signings he had set up for today. He knew that they were in the middle of a case, and that she'd likely get caught up in it, but he'd reminded her anyway.

She'd gotten out of work late, so she'd opted to go straight to the signing. Foregoing going home and shedding the gun and badge for a cute dress so that she could just be Kate the fiance and not Detective Beckett the muse. But she didn't have time for that so she'll be both.

Stupidly she decided to take the subway because there was no way that a cab was going to get her there on time. Only the train she needed pulled away from the station even as she sprinted for it. Of course the next three trains weren't going where she needed them too and by the time one she did want came through it was packed with commuters.

Braving the wrath of angry commuters, she squeezed herself in. She'd at least get there by the signing. She'd sent him a text that was mostly _I'm sorry_ as the commuter in front of her grumbled as her gun clad hip collided with his lower back.

The signing is already well underway by the time she gets there. Gina smiles and waves beckoning her to duck the ropes and join them. Gina has an ultimate goal of getting Kate signing things too. "_The author and the muse_," she always says with a smirk and a lift of a perfect blonde eyebrow, "_think of the sales._"

She shakes her head though and grabs one the stacked copies of Secret Heat and gets in the back of the line. Her ring taps the binding as she drums her fingers on the cover waiting for the line to move forward, not thinking anything of the women in front fawning over him. They know he's engaged, they'd been really public about it a few months ago at the release party, but the women still fawn over him, and he's giving them all his best author smile.

She yawns, checks her watch, it's nearly over. Gina's probably going to make him keep going until she gets to the front, at least she hopes so, there's only about twenty people in front of her.

Smiling she looks down at the book, the dedication comes to mind and she gazes at her ring, the sparkling perfect ring that he bought over a year before he was able to ask. Suddenly, she knows exactly what to do, what she'd been planning on telling him when they got home, but this is perfect.

The last woman in front of her gives a gentle giggle as he says something flattering and then it's her turn. He's into the groove though, because he doesn't look up as he takes the book, instead he looks at Gina begging for respite, the blonde just smiles and shakes her head.

"Who do I make it out to?" it's the false cheer he has when he's tired and over stimulated.

She gives him a grin, "I was thinking, Mrs. Castle," and watches as his face splits into a grin of his own, "Katherine Castle, actually, this author I know really likes how it sounds."

**Walk Away – Kelly Clarkson**

"What are you doing in here?" He'd disappeared from his seat next to my desk, an hour ago, left his phone behind which had rung three times before I'd given up waiting for him to come back so I'd gone in search of him.

He was in the observation room, scribbling furiously in his notebook, not really paying attention to me. So I crossed the room to him, letting the door snick closed behind me. He's been suffering writer's block lately so the fact that he's writing is a good thing but usually goes home first. I lean against his shoulder, running my hand along his back, so that I could get a better look and his writing.

He looked up at me setting the pen down so that he could wrap an arm around my waist his fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt. "Sorry, got caught up and didn't want to go home since we have plans after work, and didn't want to distract you. It was the only quiet place."

"Spinning stories are we?" I ask amused.

"It's my job, telling stories is what I do best." He's grinning up at me as he rubs circles on my skin with the one hand.

Swinging one leg over his I settled into his lap. "I do like it when you tell stories," I whisper against his lips before capturing them, smiling into the kiss as he responds wrapping his arms more fully around me.

I pulled back from his lips to press kisses to his jaw line, "Not that this particular scenario doesn't fulfill a number of stories that I've spun over the years, but I believe this violates your rule number one."

"I think the boys know we're together," I hummed taking his earlobe between my teeth, "The wedding this weekend was a clue." I rolled my hips against his, and was rewarded with a groan enticing me to slip the top button of his shirt from its hole so that I could get my hand inside it.

His fingers tighten on my hips and he swallows, "If this is some kind of pre-wedding gift I'm not going to complain but if you don't actually want to have sex in here then we need to stop."

I hum a little bit, knowing that he loves it when I do that, as I slide my nails over his skin. "Alexis has called you three times, but won't tell me what she needs so desperately so I'm forced to assume that the two of you are plotting something."

He chuckles a little bit, "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Well I'm done, if you're done we can go," I tell him standing up.

"Yeah, I'm going to need a minute," he makes no move to get up and join me.

I grin, "Well find me when you're ready."

"You're leaving me in here," he pouts.

"I thought you like watching me walk away," I teased pulling open the door laughing at his answering groan.

**Some Say – Sum 41**

"Someone told me that this would get old," we're swaying in the living room to the soft piano music that's floating through the speakers. She had started out giggling at me when I'd pulled her up off the couch, but now she had her head resting on my shoulder arms around my neck, as she finally gave voice to her biggest fear.

"This is never going to get old," I promise her, hitching her body just a little bit closer to mine.

She however pulls back so that she can look at me, "You've had two other marriages, Rick. They didn't last because something went wrong." Something about that terrifies her again and she focuses on the windows, as if she's afraid to face the reality of this.

"Kate…" but her name's not enough to get her attention. "Hey look at me…" I nudge her chin so that she's looking at me, "I never felt anything like I do with you, with Gina or Meredith, ever. You are…" I struggle to put words to what I'm trying to convey to her, and realize that is exactly the point, "You leave me speechless… I can't put words to how I feel about you, and I can put words to everything." I give her a self-deprecating smile.

She's smiling back even as a tear escapes her eyes, "I make you speechless, hun?"

I nod leaning in and capturing her lips in quick kiss, "You have no idea."

"Well I hope you wrote your vows down otherwise tomorrow is going to be really sad when you have nothing to say." She's teasing me now, feeling better about what ever had briefly freaked her out.

"Oh don't you worry I have the perfect words for tomorrow," I tell her as we start moving in time to the music again. "But for right now let me just tell you that it will never get old how you smile at me, or how wonderful it feels to wrap my arms around you at the end of a long day."

"Rick you don't have too…" she tries to protest.

But I cut her off, "It will never get old that you love me back and that this is what you want. And it will never get old that you're a kick ass detective and a beautiful woman. It will never get old that you love my kid and you want to have more kids with me."

She's the one that stops me this time as she stretched up on her bare feet and kisses me, wrapping her arms around my head. "You're talking too much, you're not going to have anything left for tomorrow."

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to come up with enough words, because there are never enough Kate."

She kisses me again, "Never going to get old," she whispers pulling back, "We should get some sleep."

"Big day tomorrow." I hum in response.

"A long time coming," she replies.

**Clocks – Coldplay**

I knock on the door, smoothing my tie as I wait for the answering call from inside. Alexis opens the door smiling, "Hey Jim, perfect timing." She steps back to let me into the room.

Standing in front of a three-way mirror is my daughter. In her wedding dress. I've seen it before when she insisted I go with her to the store to buy it, but now she's got her hair done, makeup just perfect, and the smile on her face is bigger than when we told her we were going to Disney World for her fifth birthday. "Oh, Katie Bug!" I manage to say without tears escaping.

She doesn't turn because Lanie is sliding what I think is the veil into her hair so that it ghosts over one side of her face, "Dad," the smile sweetens, and when Lanie stops fussing she turns to me hand out stretched.

"Oh just look at you." My little girl standing in front of him wearing a stunning lace gown, and I can't seem to get another word out.

Martha takes charge, "Five minutes Kate and then it's time," and then she ushers Lanie and Alexis out the door giving me a few moments alone with my little girl.

She nods letting them leave, looking back at me. "Katie you look like an angel. Rick is a really lucky guy."

"I think he knows that," she says softly, with a dreamy smile that she never wore, even as a child.

"Seriously though, he's good for you. Your mom would have loved him," I tell her.

And she laughs, "Because he was her favorite author?"

"That," I smile, "and because of the way he looks at you."

She's being girly today as she gasps, and her hand flutters up to her mouth, "Daddy…"

Now I'm swallowing tears as I go to speak again, "You look so much like her and she would want for you to be happy and he makes you happy."

"Really, really happy," she nods, sniffling.

Trying to get myself together, I pull out the jewelry box from my suit pocket, "Anyway she wore this on our wedding day and I thought that you should wear it on your wedding day."

She's gone quiet, taking the box and opening it her fingers ghosting over the necklace, "Dad it's beautiful. Help me put it on." She hands the box back to me turning around so that I can fasten it around her neck.

"Stunning," I tell her reflection watching her smile despite the tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Dad," she whispers.

For just a minute we linger looking in the mirror, "Alright, Katie Bug, let's get this show on the road before Rick comes looking for you." Because he will and that's one of the many reasons I know he's perfect for her.

She smiles again walking towards the door to scoop up the bouquet of lilies, and then slides her arm through mine. Leaning over she presses a kiss on my cheek and whispers, "I love you Dad."

**The Finish Line – Train**

It was the hotel room that they we're going to spend the night in, but for right now it had been transformed into a salon and she's sitting in the middle of it as people fuss with her hair and makeup. She can hear Lanie, Alexis, and Martha all telling stories and laughing but she doesn't join in. She just tries to absorb all of it. She really just wants to process all of it and remember every little detail of this day.

But before she can process much of anything the girls are helping her step into the beautiful lace gown, with the little row of buttons that come to the bottom of the plunging back. Alexis is adding a bracelet before she can refuse, Martha has a pair of earrings for her, and Lanie's written on the bottom of her shoes in blue ink, and they're all smiling and laughing as the coax her out onto the roof.

Then they're gone and she's standing with just her dad and he's got tears on his cheeks and telling her she looks just like her mom and that he couldn't be happier for her. Before she can respond he's slipped her arm through his and he's guiding her down the aisle and nothing else matters because she can see the finish line.

Everything seems to sparkle around her. They spent hours planning this, much to both of their chagrin at times. But she was sure it was perfect around her and all that mattered was that it was sparkling in the edges of her vision and that his blue eyes were sparkling only inches from her face.

She struggles to follow the words of the ceremony, to repeat the words she needs too and read him the vows that she agonized over for days and she ended up changing as she said them anyway. She's giddy at the feeling of the thin metal band sliding on her finger, and sliding one over his own.

Then he's wrapping an arm around her waist the large warm hand coming to rest on the smooth bare skin of her lower back, and he's brushing his lips over hers, as her arms wrap around his neck. Distantly she can hear the crowd clapping but it doesn't matter when they separate because the way he's looking at her… She wouldn't trade anything in the world for it.

**Stop and Stare - One Republic**

There's a soft swell of conversation on the rooftop. It's bound to happen when you get 80 people together and then make them wait for the event to start. But the music starts up before I know it and Ryan is guiding my mother down the aisle showing her to her seat before standing to my side, and then Alexis, in a floaty purple dress follows, with Esposito grinning like an idiot on her arm until they reach us. Alexis comes to stand next to me and Javi goes to stand on the opposite side, and then there's Lanie striding down the aisle so that she can stand next to Esposito across from me. Leaving just enough time for a conspiratorial wink before the music changes. The once chattery crowds goes silent and stands, but none of that matters because standing at the end of the aisle is Jim with the vision that is Kate.

Beautiful. Stunning. Extraordinary. Brilliant. Amazing. Gorgeous.

Kate.

I can't see anything else, just her in this gown that fits her like a glove. Lace wrapping her up and flaring out at the knee. Her skin set on fire by the ivory, glowing, sparkling, radiating… none of those are enough. The hair I love so much is swept off to the side with something sparkly that only adds to her overall shimmer. But the thing that stops my heart is the smile she's wearing. It's so heart breakingly wonderful because I know that it's there for me.

Before I can get myself together, she's standing in front of me one of her soft thumbs swiping across my cheek bone as she collects the tears that escaped without my knowledge. I can't help myself, I press a kiss to her hand before the officiant is guiding us through the ceremony.

It's a ceremony that I wrote, with her editing and I don't hear a word of it. The officiant actually has to nudge me to get me to say the vows I prepared, earning a magical chuckle from her. Before I can really process it though she's guiding the solid platinum band onto my finger, and I'm adding the sparkling one to her finger. Interlocking it with the engagement ring she'd refused to take off.

And then it's over and he's stepping back so that I can step in and wrap my arm around her waist my brain only briefly registering that it's mostly bare skin, before her hand is coming up to cup my cheek and she kisses me just once softly, and then I'm following her mouth as she pulls back for just one more.

Before I know it the officiant is clearing his throat, and she's pulling away with the most dazzling smile on her face. Her hand wraps around mine as the other reclaims her flowers, and I lift the hand I have a press another kiss to it. The crowd is standing again when we turn to face them looking just as teary as I feel and then the officiant says what I've been waiting hear, "Ladies and gentlemen I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle."

**Save Tonight – Eagle-Eyed Cherry**

"Good morning." I whispered when I opened my eyes to find him watching me.

He shifted closer, a hand coming up to sweep my hair behind my ear. "It's not morning yet."

I turned my head and pressed a kiss into his palm, "Then why are you awake?"

"Because, I want to remember every moment of tonight and if I sleep then I might miss something." He whispers, tangling his legs with mine.

"I'm not going anywhere." Now it's my turn to brush his hair out of his eyes, as his hand skates down my body coming to rest on my hip.

His thumb draws circles on my skin, "I know you're not." He leans in a captures my lips in a soft and languid kiss, before he pulls away with a sigh.

"So what are you afraid of missing?" I lean my forehead against his.

"I like watching you sleep."

"Because you've never done that before?" I chuckle softly, slipping my hand through his hair pressing my skin again his.

He brought his hand back up too my face and a finger floats down the ridge of my nose, "You crinkle your nose when you sleep." Then reached behind his head to lace our fingers together, "And when you're dreaming you grab with your hands like you're trying to wrap your fingers in my shirt."

I gasp a little bit, "I didn't know that I did that?"

"Just a little thing for me to know," he grinned bringing our hands between us, "and appreciate."

"But you're not wearing a shirt," my eyes went to his shoulder looking for signs of my fingernails.

He kisses my fingers. "No damage, it's just nice to know I'm wanted even in your sleep."

Trailing my foot up his calf, "I always want you."

He hums happily, "I know you do."

"So why are you awake?"

"Because this night is only going to happen once."

"You've had this night twice before." I tease him, with a smile. We've been through this a dozen times were dating, but now it's a joke.

He still sobers just a little bit, still happy but serious. "Yeah, but this night is only special because it's you and me."

"Best night of your life?"

His smile could light up the city, "Best night of my life," he lifts our joined hands and presses a kiss to the interlocking rings on my left hand, "with the only Mrs. Castle." One of the many things we fought over, but I'm the first and only wife to take his last name.

I capture his lips, adoringly and he rolls us onto my back. "It's still Detective Beckett," I hum between kisses

"You have no idea how hot that is," and then he shifts and I gasp at how fabulous this is every time single time, "but right now I'm making love to my wife the extraordinary Mrs. Katherine Castle, who I love more than anything."

"I love you too, Mr. Castle."

**Fall to Pieces - Avril Lavigne**

The water is scalding hot as I settle into it. The angry pink flush crawling up my skin distracting me from everything else at the moment. Sucking in air through my teeth I slowly lower myself into the water, giving my skin no time to adjust, just submerging myself in the jasmine water, pulling in solid breathes through my nose focusing on acclimating and nothing else for the moment.

Finally, I felt comfortable enough to just let my head fall back against the edge reaching over to turn on the jets, thanking whatever stroke of genius was involved when he had this installed. My sweet, infuriating, annoying, wonderful man who sometimes could be so stupid. Sighing I opened my eyes lifted my hands out of the water. The interlocking bands sparkling back reminding me of exactly why he'd done it, even if it was infuriating.

Closing my eyes again I let my arms just float below the surface, trying to figure out how to word my apology and reason with him, then I heard the bathroom door snick closed, but he didn't say anything just stood by the door, clearly that was all he'd thought out. So we're just going to just go for it, cause that worked so well for us earlier.

"I'm not sorry for sending you home." I look at him, he's leaning against the bathroom, looking dejected, he's twisting his own ring round and round.

"Come here." He shuffles across the room still not really meeting my eyes. Shaking a hand off I reach out and tug on his jeans, "Get in."

A small smile lightens his features as he shucks his clothes, and I slide forward in the tub so that he can climb in behind me. Arranging ourselves in the tub, I settle back against his chest, the warmth from his skin magnifying that of the water. Lacing the fingers of our left hands together, the rings clash together echoing the vows that came with them, "I am sorry that I yelled at you."

He lets out a gushing breath of hot air against the exposed skin of my neck, "I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have." He runs a series of open mouthed kisses along my shoulder. "I just… he said those things and I couldn't help myself…"

Picking up his left hand, bringing our tangled fingers to my lips, I hold them to my lips for just a second before letting my head fall back so that I could look at him, still holding up our ring-clad fingers. "I'm definitely yours Castle, nothing a scumbag lawyer says is going to change that, and you can't go lunging after every asshole that hits on me."

"Wanna bet?" he growls under his breath in contradiction to the way his fingers squeeze mine. "He didn't just hit on you, he grabbed your ass."

"And I'm perfectly capable of breaking his hand if it was necessary." I smile at him, because he really does understand that he was being ridiculous.

He buries his nose in the crook of my neck for a second taking a deep breath then blowing cold air across the nape of my neck raising goosebumps despite the heat of the water. "I'm sorry," he huffs.

"I know." Closing my eyes, I let my head roll against his neck and just let him hold me in the cooling bath water. "Our first fight as a married couple."

"We made it two weeks." I can hear the smile in his voice as his hands become more adventurous, "There should be a prize."

I laugh pressing a kiss to his throat. "There is, it's called make-up sex."

**Young at Heart – Frank Sinatra**

"Please!" his eyes are big and he's got his hands clasped together as he tries his best begging face.

"Castle, we've got a case we're not here for your entertainment." I try to reason with him.

I can see the change in his posture, he's not going to give this up, "Oh come on Kate, we already interviewed the guy and you know that Ryan and Esposito are knocking off when they're done so it's not like we got anything to go back to at the precinct." He captures one of my hands dragging me in the direction of his desired destination. "Come on Kate, you know you want to."

I did my heels in for just a second letting him drag me before I gave in, "I married a nine year old."

"And you wouldn't have it any other way," he's positively glowing with joy as he stops so that I run into him and he can wrap his arms around me.  
>I smile back. It's impossible not to knowing that I make him this happy, knowing that me makes me this happy,"You're right." I brush my nose against his looping my arms around his neck as he captures my lips, sliding his over mine before nipping at my bottom lip and soothing it with his tongue.<p>

Quickly it was turning indecent, if the clearing of several parents throat were any indication so I pulled away. "Alright time to choose, we can ride the roller coaster or we can go home and have sex," I murmur in his ear.

He swallows hard, "I pick option number three."

"And what's that?" I ask.

"Roller coaster and then home for sex," he tell me releasing my waist and stepping away tangling our fingers as they meet.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," I agree following him into the maze for the roller coaster.

"I'm full of good ideas," he grins leaning in closer so that mouth brushes the shell of my ear, "So Mrs. Castle are you a screamer?"

Oh this is so going to backfire on him, as I pull back to look in his sparkling blue eyes, "Oh Richard you know that I'm a screamer." I whisper and scrap my nails across his abdomen moving forward with the line in the direction of the front of the coaster.

Rewarded with a gasp from him as he darted forward to wrap his arms around my waist so that his whole body was pressed up against my back and his face was buried in my hair, "That was so not fair."

**Breakout – Miley Cyrus**

"You done?" he asks from the corner of my desk where he appeared rather suddenly ten minutes ago.

Looking at my desk I realized that I was in fact done, "Yes, I am," I smile at him, relaxing into my chair, "What did you have in mind?"

"We're out of here!" he gives by way of an answer. He's positively gleeful scooping up my coat so he could help me put it on, "Have a good week boys!" he nods to them as we pass on our way to the elevator.

"Have fun!"

"Get some sun!" They chorus simultaneously.

I, however, am turning back to my husband, who looks like he is walking on clouds he's so happy. "A week? Get some sun? Castle, what the hell is going on?"

He smiles as the elevator dings, "You'll see!" He grabs my hand and pulls me into the elevator car, "Come on we're going to miss our flight."

Oh good lord, what has he planned now? "Miss our flight to an unknown destination for a week for which I have not packed?" I'm looking at him like he's off his rocker, which I think he might be.

"Sounds about right," he nods and gives my hand a squeeze. "Now will you relax and enjoy. I packed for you."

The elevator opened onto the lobby and he dragged me out. "Did you pack me anything that I can wear out in public?"

"Alexis did." He nods ushering me out of the building towards the car that's waiting by the curb, driving standing patiently by the back door. At least there was some sanity involved in what ever he had planned.

"Evening Mrs. Castle," he tipped his hat. "Are you ready for your honeymoon?" He asks and that brings me up short. Castle collides with my back, before I have the chance to turn around.

Turning around slowly I look up at his happy blue eyes, "Honeymoon?" I ask softly, all my irritation at not knowing what was happening evaporating.

Castle for his part just smiles and wraps his arms around my waist, "Yeah, a surprise honeymoon."

"Rick," I lift a hand to his face, "I would have helped plan one," I tell him softly.

"I know, but that wouldn't have been a surprise." He leans in capturing my lips in a quick kiss, "The wedding was three months ago and this trip is perfect so we're going."

Running my fingers into his hair, I smile. "Still not going to tell me where?"

He shakes his head, "Nope, but if you don't get in the car we're never going to get there."

On cue Ernie cleared his throat and opened the passenger door, "To the airport?"

I nod stepping away from my adorable husband. "To the airport," I agree and climb into the car with Rick on my heels.

**Stumble – Natasha Bedingfield**

"You didn't have to get a villa," I whisper taking in the resort as he navigates us to the assigned villa, I can't help but roll my eyes. And then we come to a stop at this beautiful, gargantuan house and the sigh to match the eye roll escapes, but he's smiling proud of himself.

"It's beautiful Castle, unnecessary, but beautiful." It really is the island is lush and tropical the beach seems never to be more than a stones throw from anything.

"Nothing is unnecessary when it comes to you," he answers softly, opening his door. He's really never been pushy about his wealth, I guess our wealth now, uninhibited about spending it but never forceful about things. He likes having the money there and the freedom that it gives him to do what he wants so he's careful with it. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that its mine too now. "Come on lets go inside."

Climbing out we gather the suitcases, I'm still clueless as to the contents, the only thing I know is that he packed me his latest manuscript to read on the plane, we make our way up the path to the front door.

Just as we get to the door though he drops everything and scoops me off my feet, causing a very girly squeak to escape, "Castle what are you doing?" I squirm a bit trying to get down.

He just tightens his arms holding me in place. "I am carrying the new Mrs. Castle across the threshold." He says gallantly, somehow maneuvering to open the door.

Sighing happily I purse my lips and shake my head at him thoroughly amused. "Alright Mr. Castle, you've officially swept me off my feet. Now take me inside before you drop me."

"Never gonna drop you," He replies pushing open the door as I press a kiss to his jaw line. The he starts inside only to stumble dramatically, jostling me.

I can't help it as laughter rolls through me and he's looking a little embarrassed, but he didn't drop me. "You've still got me," I promise, tightening my arm around his neck in to emphasize my point.

He relaxes, smiles that dazzling Castle smile that I fell in love with, "See not going to drop you." He carries me further into the house.

"I love you," I whisper reverently as he sets me down on the cool wood floor of the living room.

"Hmmm…" he hums happily, slipping his arms around my waist, hands gliding under the hem of my shirts to the skin below. "I love you too," and then he captures my lips softly, reverently, lovingly.

Eventually I pull back. "We should get the bags," I say resting my forehead against his cheek for just a minute.

"And then?" He's humming with joy.

Pulling away I saunter over to the balcony doors that have been left wide open for our arrival overlooking the calm Caribbean waters. "And then we'll see what you packed me," I threw a wink over my shoulder.

He turns to fetch our stuff calling back to me, "You don't need anything for what I have in mind."

**Heart of the World - Lady Antebellum**

"Castle… Castle…" She's hissing for the other side of the bed.

"What?" I reach out to wrap an arm around her waist and bring her to me.

"Not that." She bats me away, "Wake up. Put some shorts on."

"Kateee… it's the middle of the night if you don't want that then what do you want?" I groan tucking my face back into the pillow.

A pair of shorts landed on my head, "Come on. I'll be outside when you feel like joining." And with that her presence disappeared.

Why in the hell did I marry someone that needs only 4 hours of sleep on a regular basis, even without caffeine? Groaning again, I sit up in the over sized bed and tug the shorts off my head so that I could hop into them as I followed her out onto the teak deck that ran into the beach.

Leaning against the railing in nothing but her nightie, was my gorgeous wife her head tilted up to the sky so that her hair cascaded down her back as she took in the thousands of sparkling stars. Crossing to her, I wrapped my arm around her soft waist and ducked my head to lave the exposed line of her collarbone.

Her fingers carded into my hair, and on a sigh, she tugged my head up. "Look at the stars."

Following her gaze, I looked up at the sky to see millions upon millions of stars twinkling back at me. "There are so many," comes out of my mouth, clearly I was still mostly asleep.

But she wasn't even the least bit bothered, "I don't think I've ever seen so many."

"Well that's what happens when you go to a remote part of the world without street lights." She's still looking up at them, her face reflecting the wonder in her voice.

She tipped her head forehead so that our eyes meet, "Thank you Rick. This is wonderful."

"Anything for you Kate, you know that." I lean in and capture her lips in a soft kiss.

She follows my lips when I pull away going for another kiss. "I know but I don't say it enough."

"Kate you let me do these things that's enough." I assure her closing my eyes and breathing her in, "Can we go back to bed."

"I want to look at the stars a little longer." She slipped her fingers through my hair in a soothing motion.

"Ok." I kissed her cheek and then started back to the bedroom only to have her snag my wrist.

"I'll make it worth your while if you stay." She said with a sultry undertone.

I cocked my eyebrow, "What are we talking?"

"Skinny dipping." She dropped my wrist so that she could grab the hem of the scrap of fabric she was wearing and pulled it overhead.

"So why'd you make me put on shorts?" I whine even as I push them off my hips.

**Rhythm of Love – Plain White T's**

The fluorescent lights in pharmacies always seem especially harsh when you're trying to buy something that can fall into the potentially problematic category. Also why are there so many brands? Seriously do we really need fifteen different versions? Surely one, maybe two would be enough?

The clerk rings it up without even blinking too jaded by people half my age buying a dozen in a shaky panic of disbelief. The old lady in line behind me though smiles, taking in the ring and the box, and says, "Congratulations, I hope it's the news you're hoping for." Only that's just it, I have no idea what I want the outcome to be.

Honestly I don't even know what possessed me to buy it. I was a few days late, but I'd messed with the pill to accommodate the surprise honeymoon 6 months ago and I was still slowly getting back on track, so it was probably nothing. And yet something had possessed me to stop in CVS on the way home and just grab one. Which of course felt like more of an ordeal than it really was.

I'd fully planned on getting through the door and making a break for the bathroom, and just getting my answer now so that I could assess the situation from there. But the front door swung open to my husband and daughter laughing as Alexis regaled him with the story of some freshman she was TAing in Bio and how he had hopeless tried to flirt with her. I was swept into the laughter of a normal night at home and the box stayed in my purse forgotten.

It isn't until the next morning when Ryan calls about a body that I even remember it. Castle heads to the kitchen to make coffee leaving me to finish getting ready and my stomach rolls at in reminder that there might not be coffee for nine months. That has to be some kind of punishment.

Snatching the box I head into the bathroom taking the test and attempting to wait patiently as it just sits on the counter. I should have bought the three minute test. I can hear Castle calling me from the kitchen, he must have finished the coffee, but I can't bring myself to answer. On one pass of the bathroom of unlatch the door, he'll find his way here soon enough. Glancing at my watch, I've got another ninety seconds. I pull in a deep breath. It doesn't matter what the answer is I know we're going to be fine, we have to be fine.

I feel the air pressure change and I know he's found me. Turning to retread the bathroom again. I know he's watching me that he's put everything together, but he's patiently watching me. I look at my watch again, five minutes is up. Taking a deep breath and steeling myself I look up and him.  
>He's smiling that soft reassuring smile that is just what I need in that moment, the one that says everything is going to be ok we've got each other. It's in that moment that I know everything is going to be alright as I turn and pick up the test.<p>

**Wait Till You See Me Smile – Alicia Keys**

"Kate?" She was nowhere to be seen. We'd gotten the call about a body drop twenty minutes ago. Fortunately we were both awake, that just left getting ready and getting there. But I'd left to make the coffee and grab some basic breakfast stuff ten minutes ago leaving her to finish her makeup in the bathroom.

Usually, she's joined me by the time the coffee finishes brewing, she's never been one to linger over eyeliner and blush, she puts it on, looks beautiful, and heads out the door. But not this morning, so I leave the travel cups on the counter next to the napkin wrapped pastries. "Kate?" I call again walking through the office into the bedroom.

The door to the bathroom is open just a little bit and I can see her in the silver of mirror pacing. The door's not closed and locked so I push it open ready to ask if she's feeling alright but the words never get out of my mouth.

She's checking her watch, trying to determine if enough time has passed since the last time she checked her watch, even if it was only six seconds ago, and then glancing at the counter again, where it sits. The possibilities for that little box loom, without either of us saying a word.

We'd talked about it. Of course we'd talked about it, but we'd never really sat down and discussed it. It had always been more of, one day when we… then a lets have one… But I guess this will decide the course of it. And I don't really know how to take it, I don't really know how she's going to take it either for that matter.

There's nothing I can do though, I can just be here and deal with the reaction whatever it maybe. So I lean against the door jamb and just watch. I have to resist the urge to check my own watch, since it won't do me any good, and I have to resist trying to get her to stop pacing, that won't do either of us any good.

She looks at her watch again, and stops in her path. Lifting her head she just looks at me for a second and I give her an encouraging nod. She can do this, we can do this. So she pulls in a deep breath and then crosses to the counter and picks it up.

There's no reaction for what feels like hours as she stars at the little stick, trying to mentally process whatever the read out is saying. And then she lifts her head to catch my eyes in the mirror and her smile is brilliant, and my heart stops. "Yeah?" I hear myself question.

She nods setting the test back down, turning around to face me. "Yeah."

"We're gonna have a baby?" I ask just wanting to hear it out loud.

She steps into my arms brushing a kiss over my lips, "We're gonna have a baby."

**Shelter from the Storm – Bob Dylan**

To hear about Detective Kate Beckett and Rick Castle you have to be in the precinct for about five minutes. They are the unusual partnership that seems to have a remarkable close rate. And according to the bureau's jacket they're always the ones that seem to end up in the middle of an inter-agency nightmare.

It takes about two seconds after spotting their rings to realize that those are really only a physical manifestation of what ties them together. Watching them work is a treat and bizarre all at once. He challenges her, makes her think outside the box. She keeps him grounded, forces him to focus.  
>But when it comes down to it they're each other's solid ground when the rest of the world is going haywire she just has to look behind her to see he's right on her tail wearing his writer vest taking in every detail.<p>

They manage to keep it together until after she guns down the man responsible for this whole mess. The swat team swarms in and that's when she reaches for him, but it's not a full body crash into him. She just takes his hand in hers, and holds it for a minute. It's some sort of silent communication that you see on TV but rarely ever witness in real life. It's a beautiful thing.

The more interesting thing is that the entire precinct doesn't even bat an eye at it, like it is completely normal. I ask a uniform about them when I'm packing up. She just shrugs. She has no idea when they started sleeping together just that they got married less than a year ago and she's heard rumors that the detective is pregnant. Other than that though since the day he showed up in the precinct it's been assumed where she goes he follows that was seven years ago.

The writer and his muse fighting crime. Attracting nearly as much trouble in that time but almost always solving it. So the note goes in the file. In the file and every agency would see it. Where she goes he follows. He's just as crucial to the team as she is. I can only hope that the next guy that comes in doesn't try and throw him out like everyone before him because you'll just end up wasting half a day while they try and get him back.

**Yellow – Coldplay**

He was standing in the middle of the room guest room, just kind of looking around. It was the room that I'd stayed in the first time I'd spent the night here, and a few times after that. It had been decorated by a designer I'm sure. Probably, the same one that had done the rest of apartment, but where the rest of the house had been altered, added to, lived in, this room was relatively untouched.

Slipping through the doorway I walked up to him wrapping my arms around his waist settling my head on his shoulder. "Whatcha thinking?" I asked.  
>He sighed gently, hands settling over mine, "That we're not going to have a guest room anymore."<p>

"What about Alexis' room?" I asked amused that this was the problem he currently foresaw.

"It's Alexis' room."

"Well do we get a lot of guests besides Alexis?"

"No, but what about when she brings home a boyfriend." He pouted.

"Rick…" He knew he was being silly, but it was so sweet to hear him be a classic father, "when our 23 year son comes home with a girl that he lives with are you going to make them sleep in separate rooms?"

He turned around in my arms, "Won't you?..." He asked as his eyes went wide a hand coming up to rest on the slight swell of my stomach, "We're having a boy."

"Oh god! Sorry, I know you wanted to be surprised, it just slipped out." He wanted it to be a surprise so when the doctor had offered to tell us he'd stepped out of them room.

"We're having a boy?" he asked again tears of happiness shimmering in his eyes.

I brought my hands up to cradle his face, nodding. "Yes. Yes, we're having a baby boy." Tears streaming down my face as he smiled kissing me.

"A little boy." He leaned his forehead on mine, looking down at his hands that were gently cradling my stomach, "Oh Kate we're having a baby boy, we're really having a baby?" he sounded completely shocked at the possibility.

I laughed, slipping my fingers through his hair feeling happier about it than I had when we originally found out. "We're definitely having a baby."

We were both quiet for a moment as the tears subsided, I took in the room, imagining everything that it was going to need to be ready for the baby.

"We're going to have to make a bunch of changes in here."

"We get to go shopping," he smiled.

"We're going to need to paint too," I agreed leaning into rest my head on his shoulder as his hands slipped around to my lower back applying pressure to the tired area.

"We are? It's already blue," he murmured in my ear.

"I'm thinking yellow."

"Yellow?"

"It's warm and happy, and he's going to be a happy baby." I told him rubbing my own stomach now.

"Yellow," he agreed.

**This Boy – The Beatles**

"We need a name." She's lounging against my side rubbing her stomach, as I read the latest Patterson novel and she works on paperwork.

Closing the book, I laid my hand over hers and was rewarded with feeling my son kick against it. "Hum well he certainly can be nameless, did you have any ideas?"

"Nothing too crazy. Something with a nickname, but isn't too stiff if you use the full name."

I chuckle because I can feel her thinking against me, "Ok any other rules I should know about?"

"It has to be good for the playground, and the boardroom, and the bedroom."

I choke, "the bedroom?"

She turns her head and smiles, before pressing a kiss to the underside of my jaw, "Yes, even the bedroom."

"He's not even here yet and we're talking about him having sex," I groan.

"We don't have to actually talk about that just keep it in mind. You certainly like it when I use your name in the bedroom," she purrs against my neck.

I swallow hard, "Right back to names," earning me a chuckle, "how traditional are we talking?"

"It has to be pronounceable."

I think about it, "Well off the top of my head, Trevor, Liam, or Elijah."

Her nose wrinkled. "No," she shook her head, "Joshua or Daniel?"

Now it was my turn to shake my head, "How about Stuart, Luke, Nicholas, David, Matthew, Nathan, Stephen, Joe, or Mark."

She'd frozen looking at me, "Nathan," she rolled the name around on her tongue, "Nate, Nathan."

"You like it?" I smile.

"Nathan Castle." She says again, a slow grin forming on her face.

"I like it," I agree, "but what about his middle name?"

She shifted, pulled back a little bit, "I was thinking we could name him after the captain?"

I have no idea what she's talking about, "You want to name our boy Nathan Gates Castle?"

She smacked me."No, after Montgomery?" She's smiling again.

"Nathan Montgomery Castle, you don't think that's a mouthful?" I ask.

But she just shakes her head letting her hand settle over the bump, "What about Nathan Roy Castle?"

"Nathan Roy Castle," I repeat, it's not the most fantastic sounding name, but that doesn't really matter because it means something. "Yeah, Nathan Roy Castle. Nate."

She's humming against me and I'm relieved at how easy it was, Meredith and I had fought over Alexis' name for so long and then she was in labor and I ended up choosing while she was in recovery. "I think he likes it."

"Yeah?" I ask laying my hand on her belly, feeling Nate tap dancing inside. "Hey Nathan we're excited to meet you too."

"Really excited," she echoes me in a sense of whimsy that I rarely hear from her.

**Send Your Love – Sting**

"I'm bored." She groaned when she answered.

I chuckle, "Well hello to you too."

"Hi." I can hear her eye roll. "How was your day?"

"Boring…" She's pouting. Kate Beckett doesn't pout, and bed rest has her pouting, "I sat in bed for a few hours, sat in the tub, sat on the couch, and now I'm back in bed. I'm bored."

"That sounds like a fine day to me."

"Yeah, well I want to go to the store or the park or the precinct or anything…" she sighs and I can hear her hand thumping down on the covers in frustration. "Instead I'm stuck at home and you're not even here to annoy me."

"I miss you too."

"I'm not sure I miss you. It's your fault I'm on pregnant and on bed rest. You've add to it by being out of town."

"Well do accept my sincerest apology for putting you in such a state and then leaving you but I have to do this trip and I want to do it before Nate arrives."

"…I know…" She's getting over it, "I suppose I can forgive you… How was your day?"

"Horrible."

"Really?" I've perked her interest.

"Yes really. Would I lie to you?"

"What happened?"

"Well there was a fight at the Dallas suburb Barnes and Noble and the cops showed up."

"Oh geeze."

"Oh geeze is right and the cops down here are nothing like the Texas cops on TV."

"You spend all day with me and you're surprised that these cops weren't like they are on TV?" She's laughing at me.

"They didn't even have decent accents Kate."

"Well damn Castle that is rough."

"Oh quiet you my life is horrible all I do is lay around in bed all day."

It's quiet for a moment, and then "I miss you," comes across the line.

"I knew it…" I tease her gently. "I miss you too."

"I love you." She's smiling.

"Love you too."

"Hurry home Castle." Even though she knows I have another two cities left on this trip.

"I'll do my best Castle, now get some sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Kate…"

"Okay, okay I'll sleep."

"Until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow Stud," She promises, before disconnecting.

**I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers**

The cab was pulling up to our building when then my phone rang, it was her, our scheduled 10pm phone call. She had no idea I was here, I'd caught the early flight home. She'd been whining about boredom since Gates had put her on leave just as I'd left for my two week trip to Texas, California, Chicago and DC. So I'd cut the Chicago, D.C. leg in favor of being home with my wife.

"Hey Babe," I answered the phone taking my bags from the driver in exchange for the fare, "How are you?"

"Rick you have to come home!" The strangled plea echoed across the line.

Panic shot through my veins, "What's wrong? Are you ok is the baby ok?"

"I'm in labor. You have to come home!" She groaned, and all I could do was listen as I handed my bags to the doorman, who was already walking them inside behind the desk and I turned back out the street to hail another cab. "Castle? You hear me you have to come home, I need you for this."

"I'm on my way. Where you are?" I assure her trying to get information out of her without making her any more nervous.

"Presbyterian. Castle," It's a whine, "I need you."

A cab comes screeching to a halt in front me and I climb in covering the mouthpiece on my phone to tell the driver where to go. "I'm gonna be right there. You're going to be fine, deep breaths just like in class and I'll be there as soon as I can. Kate, babe?" I ask and she just moans a little bit, "Is anyone with you?"

"Alexis and my dad. Rick I need you."

"I know you do. I promise I'm gonna be right there."

"Ok,ok." She was pulling in the Beckett resolve, "They're taking me to my room. Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"Just get here."

"Soon as I can."

"I love you."

"I love you too." And the line disconnected. Apparently my gut had been right about coming home early. "Can you go any faster?" I ask the cabbie and received a dismissive wave even as the car gains a little speed on the quiet roads.

I call my mother, Lanie, the boys, even Captain Gates and leave short messages trying to not feel annoyed at red lights. Finally, blissfully, the cab comes to a stop at the front doors and it takes me no time at all to find the elevators and punch the button for the maternity ward.

I must look frazzled because the nurse that greeted me as I walked out is staring at me in disbelief, "You're Richard Castle?" That or she's a fan.

"Yeah, yeah I am. Look my wife just got admitted, Katherine Castle, where is she?"

She swallowed and glanced at the chart before pointing down the hallway, "Third door on the left."

"Thank you," I call over my shoulder sprinting to the room. "Kate?" I open the door

"Castle?" She sounds so relieved, "You got here so fast?"

"I was trying to surprise you by coming home early."

She wrapped her hand around mine and squeezed tight, breathing, "Sorry I ruined it."

"You didn't ruin anything, I'm just glad I was here could miss Nathan's arrival could I?

**Here (In Your Arms) – Hellogoodbye**

The only light in the room was coming from the emergency light over the bed as Kate slept. I was entranced by the bundle of blankets in my arms as I rocked back in fort in the provided rocking chair.

"Hey little guy," I spoke softly to the baby in my arms. "I think you wore mama out, and that's pretty tough to do." I look over at Kate's sleeping form; tendrils of hair that had escaped her braid had dried curled against her forehead, her brow wrinkling as she snuffled in her sleep, "She's pretty amazing though."

"Let me tell you of how Mommy and Daddy met." I redirected my attention to the blue bundle in my arms, "Mommy had her hair super short and dark and she was very, very serious when she came marching up to me at a book launch party with her badge and gun and brought me in for questioning." Nate snuffled in his sleep, his forehead wrinkling just like his mothers, as I settled into telling him about our first case.

"That was how your Mommy captured my attentions and then I went in fell in love with her, because lets be serious who wouldn't? But she fell in love with me too so it worked out. And now we have you." I finished looking back up at my wife to find her watching the pair of us.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey there, Mom." I grin at her slowly standing up out of the chair to cross to her without jostling Nate.

"Are you already telling stories to him?" She asked, shuffling over on the bed to make room for me.

I chuckled, "He seems to like them just as much as his mom does." I settled next to her so that she could lean against my shoulder.

Bringing an arm around me, she stroked a finger down his tiny nose. "He's perfect," she sighs. I can hear her smile.

Rotating my head, I pressed a kiss to her temple, "He really is."

She turned a head and caught my lips in a quick kiss before we both looked at Nate only to find him looking up at us. "Hey, there little guy," she coos, "he has your eyes."

"All babies have blue eyes, I hope that they the change to look like yours all green with hazel on the outside."

She hum's in disagreement against my shoulder, "Nope they're going to be bright blue just like yours."

"Well then the next one is going to have your eyes," I tell her.

She sucks in a breath against my back, "The next one? Rick I just had this one, plus I haven't had a baby before, I don't know if I'm any good at this."

"Kate, babe, you're going to be just fine. Just you wait you're going to be begging me for another one."

She presses a kiss to my cheek, "One step at a time Dad."

**Pieces of My Heart – Janis Joplin**

She's standing over his crib, crooning a lullaby as her fingers stroked down his nose. Coming up to stand behind her I looked down at the little boy that was blinking sleepily with the motion of his mother's finger. Eventually his little body surrenders to sleep.

"I don't know that I can go back to work tomorrow," she murmurs softly leaning back against me to just watch him sleep, "I don't think I can leave him."

"Ok, don't go back to work. Stay here with Nate and I, we'll be a shut in family." I smile into her hair.

She inhales deeply. "That's a horrible idea."

"You suggested it. I just gave you the image of what it would actually be." I squeezed her waist that she'd miraculously trimmed back down.

Turning in my arms, she wrapped hers around my waist and settled her head against my chest so that she could still look at Nate. "I'm going to miss you guys so much."

"We'll be here when you get off. And if you feel like you need to see us more often then Nate and I will take a little field trip."

"Rick you can't bring him to the precinct," she whispers looking up at me.

Stroking my hands up and down her back, "Of course I can. We'll even bring you coffee, in an emergency situation." I smile as she presses a kiss to my neck, in gratitude.

"I'm still going to miss you."

Squeezing her shoulder blades in reassurance, "You'll feel better when you strap on your gun and badge, start kicking ass and taking names again."

"If you say so," she murmurs against my shirt and I know she's already falling asleep.

CASTLE

Nate is giggling in my arms as I sway waiting for his mother to emerge from our bedroom. She seems to be taking longer than normal but I think it has more to do with her giving herself a pep talk in the shower that I neglected to notice.

"There she is!" I crow triumphantly when she comes out glock and badge strapped to her hip, and three inch heels. "Look Nate it's Mommy the super hero." He just giggles again as she comes up to us, "You good?" I ask her.

She bites her lip and nods. "Yeah I'm good. I'm going to miss you guys though," she tells the baby.

"I'll send a million pictures," I promise her shifting Nate so I can get a little bit closer to her.

"You better." She kisses me, stroking a hand down my jaw before leaning over and kissing Nate's forehead. "Be good for daddy." She taps his nose.

I can see the tears starting to rim her eyes so it's time to get her on the road with a smile, "Alright Mom go save the world. We'll hold down the secret lair until you get back."

It works, she laughs. "Alright, don't break anything."

"Do my best," I promise, "Love you."

"Love you too. Both of you," and then she lets herself out.

**(You Want To) Make A Memory – Nickleback**

She was leaning against the door frame of Nate's room, just staring into the dark space, barely illuminated by the night light. Coming up behind her I wrapped my arms around her waist looking into the room. Nate was sacked out in his big kid bed that we'd moved in today.

She sighed, leaning back against me laying her hands over mine. "He's getting so big," she finally breathed quietly into his dark room.

I smile, pressing a kiss into the crook of her neck, "Yeah, he is." It's a side of her most people don't get to see, but this wonderful soft mothering side of her is probably my favorite part.

We linger for a few more moments before she's turning in my arms, slipping around me so that she can use my hand to pull me towards the stairs. I follow willingly; I always have, knowing that whatever is on her mind right now she'll tell me in a minute.

We make it to the study before she's turning around, and wrapping her body around mine. Stretching up on her bare feet to capture my lips, pulling my bottom lip between her teeth and then soothing it with her tongue. I wrapped an arm around her waist and the other tunneled into her hair.

"I want another one," she breaths against my lips as her fingers come up to undo the buttons on my shirt.

Pulling away just a little bit, I try to maneuver her towards our bedroom without tripping over anything. "You want another what?" I ask lifting her shirt up over her head dropping, it on the floor as the back of her legs collide with the mattress.

"Another baby," she huffs as I attach my lips to her bare collarbone, and her fingers thread into my hair.

That stops me dead in my tracks though, and now I really do pull back using my hands on her hips to keep us a respectable length apart. "Kate…" She's smiling at me, and her hands are still in my hair, her fingers drawing delicious patterns on my scalp, "…are you sure?"

Defying the hold of my hands, she slips in closer, her arms wrapping around my neck. "Yeah, Rick. Yeah, I want another baby," she murmurs rubbing her nose against mine.

"I love you." It feels like the appropriate response in this moment, and earns me a soft chuckle followed by an even softer kiss.

"I take it that you're amiable to the idea." She's positively humming.

"Definitely amiable to the idea." I grin at her pushing her back onto the bed, "In fact I think we should get started right now."

She laughs, "You were the one that stopped."

Pressing kisses to her bare abdomen, "Let's make a baby Kate."

I'm certain she's glowing as she smiles, "Let's make a baby."

**Endless Night – Staged Lion King**

She's on fire. That's the only explanation for it. Every nerve is a live wire, all thrumming with the energy stemming from the place his hand is resting on her thigh. She's burning up. She can't focus on anything. Just his hand. On her thigh.

He's running a theory past the team and she can't understand anything he's saying. It's just his hand and the melody of his voice washing over her. Too close. He's too close she might just melt into a puddle of need right here on the precinct floor. She's not sure she's not already a puddle.

He stops talking and one of the boys is questioning it, but she can't bring herself to care because now his fingers are shifting along the inside of her thigh. Shooting lighting through her nerves, her gut tightening. He has to be trying to kill her, that's the only explanation, she's going to combust.

She's never felt this way. She's been desperate for him before, but never before this badly. Never with all her clothes on in the middle of the precinct talking to other people. Is it time to go yet? It has to be time to go.

Not even when she was pregnant with Nate was it this bad, she certainly had her moments but they all paled in comparison to right now. They have to leave. They have to go. They're trying and if she needs him this badly they might as well try. Maybe they're done trying? He moves his thumb. Shit. It doesn't matter they have to go home. It has to be time to go home.

Her watch, look at her watch, it's a mental battle to just focus on the hands of the watch. 6:04. The stars are in their favor. She blows out a strung out sigh and all the boys look at her. Ryan and Espo are looking at her like she might be running a fever. She probably is. They have to get out of here. Then Castle is smiling and she melts, Popsicle in July melts.

"Kate?" It must be the third time he's said it because now he's looking concerned too. She has to get that look off his face, this is definitely not a problem. Well it is, but they can fix it. All they need to do is go home.

"It's a theory," she's trying to sound normal but her voice is dripping with lust, "Let's call it a night."

"You okay Boss?" Espo asks.

"Fine," I hiss. We have to go, everything else can wait.

Ryan looks between us, "I'm out of here." He grabs his jacket and heads for the stairs, Espo nods and follows.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Castle's looking at her as if she's grown a third eye.

Giving in she leans in, "We have to go home now." He freezes and his eyes go dark as she gets her coat. He's not moving, "Coming Castle?"

**I'm on Fire – Dwight Twilley**

Castle is gone at meetings with his publisher when I wake up. I have a vague recollection of a goodbye kiss. But now it's 8:30 on my day off and I have big plans for Nate and I. We're going to the Zoo.

If I'm going to get myself and Nate ready to leave at a reasonable time I have to get going. Nate inherited his father's ability to sleep; waking either of them is like trying to raise the dead. Starting the shower, I let the steam build as I brush my teeth and the room fills with the scent of Castle's body wash. Just like that I'm on fire, again, burning up, desperate for him except he's not here this time. Shaking my head, I try to focus on the shower, mentally ticking off the tasks, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. This is the third day where I've been a puddle of need.

OH. Oh. Seriously? It's only been a month. My hands land on my stomach. Oh.

We have some test somewhere. Under the sink, I'm scrambling out of the shower riffling under the sink. There they are, seriously? Could it really be that easy? Then again, when Nate happened we definitely weren't actively trying.

I'm getting dressed while I wait for the test when I hear the babbling nonsense of my two year old from the top of the stairs, behind the baby gate. Ok get Nate then get an answer. "Mama!" He's joyous clapping his hands as I scooped him up and perched him on my hip.

"Morning Bud." He gurgles and continues to chatter as I carry him back down to our bedroom setting him down to bounce on the bed as I go back into the bathroom. Pausing just a moment so that I can ready myself for whatever the readout says.

I look down at the read out, my breath hitching as I check the read out against the box making sure that I have the right answer. Nate's little body collided with my leg arms wrapping around it as he looked up at me, "Mama you ok?" Along with his father's ability to sleep he also has the same ability to sense the shift in my moods without saying anything.

I smile down at him, I ruffle his hair, keeping my tears to myself. "Yeah buddy mommy's good. Mommy's really good." I scoop him up again cuddling him close, "How are you?"

"Going to the Zoo!" he exclaims.

"Yes we are. What's at the zoo?" I ask him carrying him out into the kitchen.

"Lions, tigers and bears!" he chirps happily.

**Survive – Rise Against**

"I'm never going to survive this," he groaned.

"What do you mean you're not going to survive this?" I asked crawling into bed with him. "You better survive this, this is supposed to be enjoyable," I told him sliding closer so that I could close the laptop for him, knowing that he's already saved what he was writing.

"This is enjoyable." His hands came up to slid across satin getting his own revenge, "What I'm not going to survive is you coming out in various…" he swallows, "lets call them outfits."

"You like them?" I ask swinging my leg over hips, running my hand behind his ear.

"I like them a lot," he gritted out his fingers now ghosting up my thighs bunching the material at my waist as he ran them higher, "I just don't need them."

"Oh and why is that?" I asked bending into to nip at his collar bone.

"Because, you're all I need."

"I'm just trying to make this a little more fun," I breath in his ear earning the tightening of fingers around my rib cage.

"This is always fun Kate. Making a baby with you is always fun."

"What if we're just doing this for fun?"

He pulled back from me, "Kate do you not want another kid, because if you've changed your mind and Nate is enough for you…"

I cut him off sealing my lips over his, running my tongue over the his, coaxing him into relaxing into the kiss. Desperation for air made me pull back and just rest my head again his, "Rick could there possibly be another reason for this to be just for fun."

He's blinking and trying to control his breathing while figures it out what I'm trying to say. Eventually he gets his brain back in control, and his hands ghost round my body to land solidly on my abdomen, "You're pregnant?"

I nod my head against his, "That's what the test said. I'll get Lanie to run a blood test tomorrow," I whisper.

"We're having another baby?" he whispered into the shared air space, a tear running down his cheek.

I nod slipping my arms around his neck into a hug, "A girl."

"How do you know?" He asks reverently.

"I just know."

"The all powerful gut?" He chuckles.

I smile, realizing tears are on my cheeks as well. "Yeah, the all powerful gut."

"We're having a little girl," he sighs, "she's going to be a knockout, just like her mom." He shifts his head so that he can capture my lips in another kiss this one solid, happy and brimming with love.

**Can't You Hear Me Knocking – Rolling Stones**

Her alarm is going off, the one she sets obnoxiously early so that she can go for a run before going into the precinct on a normal day. Of course usually she's like lightening turning it off before it even has the chance to wake him like she's been just waiting for it, but not this morning. He opens his eyes to see why she hasn't silenced the blasted thing, and the answer is right there, she's not in bed with him, the sheets are cool so she's been gone for a while. "Kate?" he asks sleepily and receives no response.

Groaning he sits up just a little more, forcing his brain into action, trying to locate his wife, the bathroom door is shut and light is escaping from underneath. Up, he forces himself, out of bed. Clumsily he stumbles over to the bathroom door knocking softly not wanting to disturbed the pre-dawn silence even if they're both already awake. "Kate?" He questions again.

Neither her name nor the knock receives any response so he tests the door handle, it's not locked so she just wanted to block the light from him, she's not hiding anything. Slowly he opens the door to find her slumped against the bathtub, next to the toilet, head resting on her arms, breathing softly.

"Oh Kate," he sighs softly; she probably had a bout of morning sickness earlier and fell asleep trying to wait it out.

Crossing the room to her, he sinks down on the floor next to her and rubs a hand up and down her back. "Kate, babe?"

"Uhmp," she practically moans.

"Come here," he tucks one arm between her and the tub and tugs her back against him.

She takes a deep breath, as she tucks her head in against his neck. "Oh my alarm…" clumsily she pats his leg "I forgot to turn it off. Sorry." She's still mumbling sleepily without opening her eyes.

"It's fine." He assures her closing his own eyes, "What are you doing in here?"

She snuggles in a little closer, "Every time I tried to lay back down it got worse. So I gave up and stayed."

"Ick."

She snorts a laugh, "Ick, is right. This is your fault."

"I do believe that there are two parties involved in getting pregnant," he argues.

"Yeah, but I'm the one throwing up."

"And I'm the one panicking over your disappearance from bed, the things that does to my heart rate," he whines.

"Oh, you're right, you have it worse." She's waking up now if she can tease him, "We should get up."

"I'm comfortable."

"Liar"

"Okay, I'm sleepy."

"At least you can have coffee." She tells him untangling herself to stand up offering him a hand, "Up you go, least you can do is make me some food."

"But you're just going to throw it up." he pouts, its way too early for this.

She gives him a soft kiss, "And yet I should still eat."

**Never Again – Kelly Clarkson**

Oh, that's so much better.

He's breathing heavily into the crook of my neck trying to pull himself together. I'm matching him slipping my fingers through his hair. My jeans are in a pile in the corner where I kicked them off, my pumps tangled in the legs. My shirt is open so that we're pressed skin to skin, in the tiny little room. At least as much skin as we could get to in under five minutes.

His breathing is finally returning to normal when he whispers, "That was fast." Almost like he's worried.

"That was good." I smile, fingers tripping over the bruise already forming where I'd bit him to quiet myself, "You're going to bruise."

"I'm not the only one," he's smirking, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Tenderly I poke the spot he's referring to, my shirt should cover it. Unhooking my legs, I let myself slide back down to the ground. "We should get dressed before someone notices we're missing."

He gives me enough room to grab my pants and pull them on. "Not that I'm complaining but what inspired breaking all the rules in the supply closet?"

Struggling into my shoes, he steps closer buttoning my shirt now that he's finished his, as I try and fix our hair so it looks a little less finger ruffled. "Hormones," I shrug. I really have no other explanation other than I needed him desperately, and suddenly.

"I like you pregnant," he mumbles catching me in a kiss pressing me up against the door, tortuously devouring me. Sending my hormones into a tailspin of need, again, as he thoroughly mapped my mouth with his tongue.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

We both froze. "If you guys are finished we have a lead," Esposito's voice came through the door.

Pushing Castle off me, "Fuck!" Castle is trying to hold in his laughter even as I try to control my embarrassment, "This isn't funny!" I smack him. Wrenching open the door, "Never Again." I hiss back at him.

"Whatever you say Detective," He whistles behind me as we make our way back to the bullpen where Ryan and Esposito are leaning against my desk looking high and mighty.

**Through The Dark – KT Tunstall**

"Castle…" Its soft from her side of the bed, "Castle?... Rick? Are you awake?" her hand runs down my back.

"I am now," I flip my head on the pillow to look at her wrapped around the fancy pregnancy pillow. She's smiling at me one hand on the small bulge now that she's managed to coax me back into the land of the living. "What is it?" I ask her happy face rolling onto my side and propping my head up to look at her.

"She's moving."

It's two in the morning and I'm not particularly quick on my feet at the moment. "Who's moving?" I blink sleepily at her.

She shakes her head laughs at me as she picks up my free hand and settles it on her stomach where hers just was, "The baby."

On cue there's a kick right where she's placed my hand. It's… it's just magical... she's really in there. "Oh Kate!" I lean forward capturing her lips in a kiss as the baby continues to kick against my hand. She knows how much this means to me. Meredith neglect to mention it to me with Alexis and Nate was fairly quiet and the first time he'd done anything I'd been on one of a dozen trips I'd been trying to get out of the way. "You're sure it's a girl?" I press my forehead to hers.

Her eyes are sparkling with tears of joy as she nods, "Yes, yes there's definitely a little girl in there."

I scoot down the bed, "Hey baby girl," I coo softly to the bump as Kate slides her fingers into my hair. With Nate she had been driven crazy when I tried to talk to the baby but, now she was content to let me have the moment. "This is your daddy. I love you so much. I can't wait to meet you."

Drawing patterns on my scalp with her finger nails. "She likes the sound of your voice," she tells me.

"Just like her mother?" I press a kiss to her stomach.

"Hmmm..." she hums softly in agreement, "just like her mother."

Kate's fingers slow as I continue to talk to the baby and she must be drifting back to sleep but there is a smile on her face as I begin her favorite fairy tale for baby Castle. Even as her mother drifts off to sleep the baby continues to move just enough for me to feel her.

**Who's Your Baby Now – Mark Knopfler**

Nate is tugging at my hand in the sterile hospital hallway, "Daddy, hurry." He whines from my feet. Apparently, I'm not moving quickly enough for my little boy.

Bending down I scoop him up off the ground and settle him on my hip. "Hold on just a few minutes Bud. We should stop and get your Mommy and sister a balloon," I tell him detouring into the gift shop.

"Balloon!" Nate claps, excitedly. Oh the woes of being a nearly three year old.

"How about this one?" I snag the pink It's a Girl balloon.

Nate looks at it and frowns, "Its pink, pink is for girls."

I laugh carrying him over to the counter with the balloon, "Yeah kid you have a little sister."

"But she's cool." He folds his arms across his body, there will be no messing with him.

The clerk smiles indulgently at him as he gives me my change, "You're gonna be an awesome big brother aren't you?"

Thrilled with the praise from a stranger, Nate's face splits into a grin. "Yeah. I'm the bestest brother ever."

"I don't doubt it." The clerk gave him a stoic nod as we left the store finally making our way to the elevators that would get us to the maternity ward.

Within minutes though I was forced to set Nate down, because he was squirming so much. Tearing through the door ahead of me before I could grab his shirt to slow him down. I was left to catch up with him hoping his mom was prepared for toddler.

I needn't have worried. Nate had bolted into the room, only to come to a screeching halt at the sight of his mom cradling the bundle of pink blankets. "Is that her?" he asked a sense of awe in his voice.

His mom lifted her head, and her smile could have powered the entire continent. "Yeah, this is your baby sister."

Squatting down next to him, "You want to meet her?" I asks getting a head nod in return. Scooping him up by his armpits, I carried him over to his mom and sister settling him next to my girls.

"Nate," Kate shifted so that her and baby were closer to him, "this is your sister, Victoria Hanna Castle."

"Vic… Victoria," he says softly his finger coming up to gently touch her.

"You can call her Tori." I tell him.

He smiles, "Tori... She's small." He's clearly disconcerted by this, since the baby won't be playing with him right away.

"She'll grow fast," Kate whispers with a kiss to his head. "You want to hold her with me?"

He nods fast, so with some rearranging we manage to get Nate settled between her legs so that they can hold Tori in their laps. Kate is supporting Tori's head as, the fingers of her free hand tangled with mine, and Nate whispering to his sister about all the things they were going to do together.

"Dad you've gone soft." A quiet voice whispers in my ear, and then Alexis is handing a tissue to me so I can wipe my tears away. "She's beautiful, Kate," she ignores my tears and cuddles into my side. "Hey, baby sister," my oldest coos and I couldn't help it as more tears escaped.

**Upside Down – Jack Johnson**

I write because that is the fun part, using my imagination to create whole new worlds. Worlds where the characters can only bleed ink and can be as daring as my mind lets them be. I don't write to spend the whole day in meetings haggling over the cover, or the characterization of my character in one section. She's my damn character for god sakes, and she's based on my wife, I say that's how she reacts that's how she reacts.

Needless to say it was a long day with a lot of less than pleasant interactions with my editor and publishing team and I was relieved to be opening the door to the loft hoping to find my children before calling my wife and convincing her that she should come home early.

I could hear Nate in the living room, playing with his train set, his latest obsession making the noises and building the tracks before running the train wherever he pleased. Much to his baby sister's amusement as her infant laughter tinkled through the apartment accompanied by the sound of her clapping hands.

"Guess who's home!" I call around the corner of the coat closet to the kids and nanny. I was rewarded with a squeal of pure joy from Tori and Nate whipped around to see if I was magically appearing or as I stepped around.

Only instead of finding Olivia, the wonderful young woman that helps with the kids when neither Kate nor myself can be home, I find my wife sitting on the floor surrounded by train tracks and cars, in addition to the colorful set to of letter blocks. Her hand is wrapped around Tori's waist so that the just mobile baby doesn't take off without her noticing.

Her hair is loose and curly around her face, as she looks up and her eyes sparkling and huge smile, she picks up Tori's hand and waves at me. "Say hi to Daddy," she mock whispers in the baby's ear. Tori squeals and bounces, and Nate takes mom's suggestion to heart as he hurtles himself at my kneecaps.

"Hey big guy!" I bend down and scoop up the energy ball and he began to chatter in my ear about his train. I only had eyes for his mom, as she stood scooping Tori off the floor and settling the baby on her hip as she made her way over to me.

"Hi Daddy." She said under her breath as she leaned in her breath ghosting across my face as she leaned in to kiss me.

"What a surprise to find you here?"

She smiles bouncing the baby on her hip, "Boys kicked me out. Said we should celebrate our anniversary. Ryan and Jenny are coming to get the kids in fifteen minutes. Jenny is insisting that they keep them overnight."

"Hmm." I kissed her softly even as Nate squiggles to get down. "Remind me to do something really nice for them."

"Happy anniversary Castle," she says on a laugh of pure joy, pulling away.

I set Nate down so that I can wrap an arm around her waist pulling her and the baby back to me, "Best five years of my life."

**Circus – Britney Spears**

He's sacked out against his mother's chest, his little head buried into her neck as she hums him a lullaby. Tori is sitting in my lap wide awake; watching the world go by holding onto the tiger snow cone cup like it's the best thing in the world. Nate's is on the floor where it fell as soon as he closed his eyes and neither of us is going to jostle the kids to retrieve it at the moment.

The kids are funny like this though where Nate's reaction to over stimulation is to just fall asleep, Tori's is to stay wide awake and process just like her mother, as long as you let her process it's fine. But if you try and get her do anything then all hell will break lose. So she sits and watches presumably trying to process the circus we're on our way home from. Nate has just shut down, but it doesn't matter because they're both being quiet.

Kate has her head resting against the headrest turned towards me, but her eyes are closed as she hums the soft tune for Nate. This had been purely my idea, taking the kids to the Circus, her arguments had ranged from it being inhumane to over stimulating for toddlers. But she'd eventually caved and had laughed with the kids as which was just beautiful to see. Even as the both toddlers scrambled onto her lap when the tigers came out, she managed to keep them entertained and safe all at once.

"You're staring," she mumbles without opening her eyes.

"You think you'd be used to it by now," I whisper back as her eyes drift open.

"Doesn't mean it's not creepy."

I smile lifting a hand to run my thumb over her jaw line. "It's not creepy to watch the love of my life and mother my children. It's then called adoring," I inform her.

She turns her head into my hand to press a kiss into the palm of my hand, "I suppose I can let you adore me." She settles her head back against the headrest, "They had fun didn't they?" She asks.

I chuckle squeezing Tori's waist, "Mommy's worried you didn't have fun?" I whisper conspiratorially into the toddler's neck. Tori's only reaction is to wave me away. "She can't stop thinking about it she loved is so much," I turn back to my wife, pulling one of her hands free of the little boy, to tangle out fingers on the seat between us, "and he's passed out so there's no question they liked it."

Her smile is soft and sweet as she fights exhaustion herself, "Ok it was a good idea." She squeezed my fingers.

"Did you have fun?" I ask.

"Yeah, I did," she pressed a kiss to Nate's head, "I don't spend enough time with them."

"Kate…" She's been saying this a lot recently, "you spend every free minute with them."

"They're just growing up so fast." She pouts.

All I can do is agree, "They are."

**Help! – The Beatles**

"Kate!" The panicked call came from the kitchen. I looked up from the paper work spread out across the desk trying to discern if he needed something.

"Rick?" I called, part of me hoping that I he didn't actually need anything but knowing in the back of my head that there was no way that was possible.

My suspicions were confirmed when the panicked, "Help!" came back.

Scrambling out of the office, "What's wrong?" I asked just as I emerged out into the main room to see him in the kitchen hopping on one foot holding a baking sheet in one hand and waving the other one around like a lunatic, he must have burned himself.

"Burn… stubbed my toe, which is bleeding somehow… there's nowhere to put these… help?" Oh man he did look pitiful, but the counter was covered in cookies.

Making my way over to the counter I shifted a few things out of the way so he could set the tray down. "Ok give me that." I picked up a hot pad to that I could take the baking sheet, he handed it over, "Now you go run the burn under cool water and I'll go get band aids for your foot," I directed. Shaking my head I disappeared into the bathroom, two toddlers and he was the one that we needed the first aid kit for most.

Returning to the kitchen he was still running his hand under the water and trying to keep the bleeding foot off the ground, "How did you manage this Castle."

"I have no idea," he whined, "I went to get the last sheet of cookies out and burned my hand but I don't know how I cut my foot. I must of have caught the corner of the cabinet or something. I just looked down and it was bleeding."

I smiled up at him, he'd really just nicked the top of his foot but apparently he caught one of the veins there, "You really are hopeless sometimes, how is it you never got shot?"

"Luck?" He chuckled.

"Right, luck?" I hummed softly cleaning him up and bandaging the wound before standing to look at his hand, "Not so bad." I pressed a gentle kiss to it, "What are all the cookies for?"

"Nate's preschool bake sale."

"Are we single handedly providing all the baking?" I looked at the impressive array of cookies, there were at least three types.

"I was just supposed to make chocolate chip, but I found these other ones, fudge and then ginger ones that I had to try." He was grinning sheepishly.

Plucking one of the fudge ones from the counter, "Well we might as well eat some of them." I popped it in my mouth. It was amazing, soft and ridiculously chocolaty. "Oh my god," I practically moaned earning a look from him.

"I'm the only one that's supposed to make you say that like that."

"You made the cookies."

**The Way You Want Me To – 98 Degrees**

"You're taking this rather well." He honestly looked pleased though, even though there was some confusion in his voice, as he walked over to join me in the kitchen.

"What am I supposed to do, Rick? Tell you to take him back?" I added the veggies to the stir fry pan watching him.

"I thought you'd be more upset about it." He's really confused by this.

I however, am not really bothered about it, "I wish you'd talk to me about it first, maybe let me help pick," I shrug, looking into the living room where the poor dog is being tackled by two toddlers, and remaining very calm about everything. "He seems to be doing just fine."

He walked around the counter to wraps his arms around me, "Thank you for being so very cool about this." He pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Yeah, well you're in charge of taking care of him." I smiled relaxing into him as I add the sauce to our dinner, "Do you have a name picked out?"

"I was gonna let the kids name him."

I shook my head, "No way they'll name him something ridiculous, they're 6 and 3. We are not letting toddlers name the dog."

He laughed the noise reverberating through me, "Fair enough. Why don't you name him then?"

"Ok," I find myself amused with the idea of naming the dog that I hadn't known we were getting. "How about Rook?"

"Rook?"

I can hear the skepticism in his voice and I can't help but laugh, "Well we can't very well name him Heat." I grin stepping out of his embrace to pull out plates.

He's looking at me a little stunned, apparently even after all this time he hasn't adjusted to my sense of humor sometimes. But he recovers quickly, "And why not Jameson?"

"A we're not naming our dog after what most people will assume is a bottle of whiskey and not a character in one of your books, and B I want the kids to be able to say it."

"So Rook hun?" He's now looking at me like he's oddly in impressed with me and can't help falling in love with me even further. It's the same look that led to me getting pregnant the first time.

"Yeah mister I'm gonna adopt a giant puppy and not tell my wife about it."

"He's not that big."

"Castle he's six months old, sixty pounds, comes up to my knee, and has paws the size of plates. How big is he going to get exactly?"He rubs the back of his neck, and turns to look at the kids and the puppy. "What was that?"

"Between 100 and 160 pounds probably."

I gasp, "Castle that's massive."

"I know, I know. But they don't run around as much as labs do or any of the mid-size dogs do and they're dogs and not weird ornaments."

I look at him and can't help groaning the dog isn't going back so I might as well accept it, "Fine the dog stays but you're in charge of vacuuming with all that fur."

**Crybaby – Janis Joplin**

Lighting cracked across the New York sky lighting up the bedroom even as the long roll of thunder rattled between the buildings startling me awake. Slowly my heart calms down enough to appreciate that the August heat might finally be over, and would wash away with the rain. The second thought brought a smile to my face, it was in a storm like this where all the pieces fell into place.

Speaking of pieces, where is Kate? Her side of the bed is empty the comforter thrown back and the sheets cool to the touch. Another crack of lightning pierces the black. The kids, I don't hear them on the monitor. She must have switched them off so as not to wake me.

Time to find them, I haul myself out of bed pulling the pajamas pants and t-shirt she's left for me at the foot of the bed, like she knew I'd come eventually. Shuffling out to the living room, I make my way to the stairs, aiming to get up to their rooms. But I don't get very far before I realize that they are all on the couch.

Nate is slumped against his mother's right side, face pressed into her chest his breathing even now that he's against her and her fingers are slipping soothingly through his hair just like she does to mine. Tori is avidly watching the storm from her mother's lap, clutching her stuffed rabbit, eyes wide.

Another flash tears through the apartment, and Kate tries not to startle when she sees me, "Castle!" she hisses.

"Sorry," I hiss back coming to sit next to her so that I could wrap my arms around them. "How are they?"

She tilts her head into my shoulder, nuzzling a little bit into my shirt, before she answers. "Nate probably would have slept through it if Tori hadn't woken him up. She wanted to watch, and didn't want to come get me. Nate has no such compulsion." She chuckles.

"She does love thunderstorms," I sigh, stroking the memorized girl's hair, "No tears?"

"Not over the storm," she shakes her head a little bit, "over lap space though."

I chuckle, "It seems that all the Castles have affection for thunderstorms." I stroke her hair, watching, the three of them in various states of sleep.

"I suppose so." She hums back, smiling.

"Go to sleep Kate, I'm a good man in a storm."

"Yes, you are," she mumbles back, drifting off to sleep.

"Daddy?" Tori's voice breaks the spell of the dramatic storm.

I look down at my little girl, "Yes, sweet pea?"

She scrambles into my lap, "It's pretty," she whispers against my neck, finally aware of the fact that there are people sleeping despite the fact that there's a storm.

"That it is sweet pea." I agree as she snuggles into me her eyes never leaving the window.

**Running Away – Hoobastank**

There was a crash, followed by a series of thunks on the stairwell that had both of us turning our heads from the TV to see Nate dragging his t-ball bag behind him down the stairs. I glanced at Castle to see him looking as puzzled as I was. "Hey Nate, whatcha doing?" he asked lifting my legs off his lap so that he could intercept the five year.

"Running away." Nate's face was all screwed up in his world famous pout as he kept tugging the bag down the stairs, the thunking telling me that he hadn't taken the t-ball gear out first.

I got a puzzled look from Castle, before he turned back to the five year old. "And why are you running away?" he asked patiently.

"Because you guys don't love me," he yells when he gets to the bottom of the stairs making his way to the front door, leaving me to dart across the loft to sit myself in front of the door.

Folding my legs under me I took in my little boy, "And what makes you think that?"

"Because you're making me go to school all the time this year!" He throws his hands up in the air. He is so Martha's grandson it's ridiculous at times.

Castle is trying hard not the laugh behind him, before he scoops him up, spinning him around before settling down next to me against the door with the little boy in his lap. "Buddy we're only making you go to school because we love you."

"Daddy and I just want to learn everything you can because you're smart and to make lots of friends," I tug on his pajama shirt.

He turns his head from his father's neck and looks at me, "I'm smart?"

"Really, really smart." I promise him brushing his Castle waves out of his eyes.

He looks up at this dad, "Can I have my friends over to play?"

Rick chuckles, "Yeah, you can have your friends over to play all the time."

Nate suddenly drooped against his father, his exhaustion, excitement, and the hour catching up with him. "Promise I'll have fun."

Standing up I lifted the forty-pound boy off his Dad, "Even more fun than pre-school, I promise. Now back to bed with you big boy. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Ok," He sighed against my chest, "Daddy, Captain."

"What about him?" his Dad asked getting up off the floor making a face as his back popped.

"Bag," Nate's eyelids fluttered closed as I carried him up the stairs back to his baseball themed room.

"Got it." He winked at me grabbing the bag and following us up the stairs.

Settling Nate back in his bed, clutching his teddy bear. "Mommy take me to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah Bud I'll take you to school tomorrow before I go to work." I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Daddy too," he asked not even lasting long enough to hear the answer so we both slip from the room.

**Glitter in the Air – P!nk**

"What are you doing?" Nate hissed in my ear causing me to jump.

"Shhhhhhh…" I turn back to him. "I'm waiting for Mommy and Daddy to go to bed so that I can wait for Santa. Why are you awake?"

"I'm excited!" He smiles sitting next to me on the stairs so that we can both peer down at the living room. "What are they doing?" His nose is all wrinkly as he looks down at Mommy and Daddy.

"They're dancing." I sigh. Mommy looks so happy as Daddy spins her out across the living room before pulling her back in hugging her and giving her a big kiss. "Daddy already gave mommy a present."

"Why does she get a present early?" He asks loudly.

"Shhhhh…" I hit him. I don't want to be sent back to bed. "Because it's extra special." For being my big brother he isn't very smart sometimes.

We watch them for a little bit longer, "Are they gonna go to bed yet. Santa won't come until they go to bed." He leans forward trying to see more of the living room.

As if Mommy can hear us she pulls away from Daddy, "Alright guys you can come downstairs now." Mommy doesn't sound mad, but we're both supposed to be in bed asleep. So neither of us move hoping that she doesn't see us. Then she's standing at the stairs looking up at us, "Well? Do you want to wait for Santa there or on the couch?"

"Couch." We say together starting down the stairs.

"That's what I thought." She smiles at us happily. "Ok you both have to sleep on the couch though so that Santa has somewhere to sit and take a break when he gets here."

Daddy scoops me up spinning around before plunking me down the end of the couch laying the blanket over me as mommy tucks Nate in at the other end. "Ok guys you have to pretend to be sleeping otherwise Santa won't come." Daddy says very seriously before giving me a big kiss, "Merry Christmas Tori."

"Merry Christmas Daddy." I tell him and he smiles before going to Nate and giving him a goodnight kiss too.

"Merry Christmas Sweet pea," Mommy whispers with her kiss before following Daddy into their bedroom. It's really hard to stay awake and have your eyes closed is the last thing that I think before I hear a noise.

My eyes open fast to look at the tree. There are hundreds of presents under it all the sudden. I must have fallen asleep and missed him. Then I hear the noise again, turning my head super slowly so that he doesn't notice I'm awake I look over at the big chair. And Santa is sitting in it eating the cookies that Nate and I left for him. "Santa?" I ask forgetting that I'm supposed to be asleep.

He smiles, at least I think he smiles it's hard to tell because of his beard, "Why Miss Tori you're supposed to be asleep."

"I was!" I sit up, "You woke me up."

"Ho, ho, ho." He laughs, and Nate rolls over but doesn't wake up. "I suppose it's my fault then. I'm sorry." He stands up coming around the table, he's so big. "Let's get you tucked back in so that I can go to my next house."

Bending down he gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then he waits for me to lay back down pulling the blanket up over me again. "Merry Christmas Tori."

"Merry Christmas Santa." I whisper back trying to keep my eyes open so that I can see him leave but I'm very sleepy and the last thing I saw was him picking up his bag of toys.

**Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd**

"You ok?" I ask coming to take a seat next to him on the couch, after coming downstairs from checking on the kids, after Alexis and Mark had left still glowing about the news that had left my husband looked like he'd been hit over the head.

He turned to look at me, a hand to landing on my thigh, "Yeah I'll be ok. It's just… when did she grow up?" he sighed, collapsing against the back of the couch. "She's getting married," he moans.

"You like Mark," I try to reason with him, without laughing at how silly he was being. "In fact you went to the Mets game with him, Kevin, Javi, and the kids this weekend. It was your idea that he go with you guys."

He covers his face, with an arm, he's being dramatic for my benefit. "I know. I do like him, and I know she loves him and he loves her." His arm flops to the couch dramatically making me smirk because both of our children do such dramatic motions when things aren't going their way. "But she's so young."

"Rick she's twenty-nine she'll be thirty when the wedding comes around." I slipped my fingers through his hair, smiling as his head tipped into my hand.

"Exactly my point she's still a little girl," he moans capturing my free hand pulling me closer.

I pressed a kiss to his cheek, settling against him allowing the one arm to wrap around his shoulder. "Rick I was 34 when we got married."

He sputters against me, "You're making me feel old and like a cradle robber all at once."

"We're only eight years apart." I chuckle against him.

I can feel him shift to scrub a hand over his face. "I'm being ridiculous."

"Yes, you are." I press a kiss to his chest, "You're going to be worse when Tori comes through that door with a ring on her finger aren't you?"

"She's four! We are not talking about her dating let alone getting married." I don't have to see his face to know that he's pouting ridiculously in this moment.

There's no point in letting this go on any longer, "You get exactly two more minutes of feeling old and then you're done. Then you get to be excited for Alexis, and start thinking of all the ridiculous things you want to do for the wedding."

"Two minutes? What am I one of the kids?"

"Yup." Untangling myself I stand up and lean over to press a kiss to his pouty mouth, "I'm going to finish cleaning up and when I'm done you're going to go back to the awesome dad and not the grouchy old man dad."

"Grouchy old man?"

"You heard me." I tell him striding towards the kitchen.

I didn't get passed the kitchen table before he was catching me around the waist and hauling me back towards the bedroom, "Grouchy old man, we'll see about that." He huffs throwing me on the bed, waggling his eyebrows as I laughed at him.

**Unstoppable – Rascal Flatts**

"Is that her?"

"Who?"

"The Detective Nikki Heat is based on?"

"How should I know?"

"You've been here longer… Man she's unstoppable in there. She's gonna have the confession out of him in two seconds."

"I would not want to be that guy."

…

"She's so hot."

"Dude, she's too old for you."

"She's only ten years older."

"She's too mature for you then."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well for one thing if that is the detective that Nikki Heat is based on then she made detective at 26, youngest person to do that on the force. Besides if that is Nikki Heat then she's married."

"No way! How didn't I hear about that?"

"Cause you have your head up your ass. How the hell should I know?"

"She's married?"

"Yeah she married the author of the Nikki Heat novels. The dude who follows her around all the time."

"You mean Richard Castle hangs out here all the time?"

"You realize we sound like idiots right now gossiping over books and their authors?"

"…we should stop."

...

"Well as I can see the ring on her finger even if that's not who you think it is she's also married."

"Man, I wonder who the lucky bastard is?"

"That would be me."

"… Mr. Castle…"

"Sir."

"Castle, is just fine boys. What are you doing in here?... Ah, watching Kate take down this scumbag. Definitely something that should be watched."

"She's amazing sir."

"That she is… so you guys must be new to the precinct."

"Yes sir."

"Just transferred."

"So why are you watching?"

"We brought him in sir."

"And we've never seen Detective Beckett in action … so we thought we'd stay and watch."

"She is something that's for sure… I just wish she'd hurry up and get this over with we have reservations."

"Big plans?"

"Yup. Eight year anniversary."

"…congratulations."

"Thanks… that's it… there we go she got him. Well boys it's been a pleasure meeting you, I'm sure I'll see you around… By the way she is the inspiration for Nikki Heat."

...

"Was that seriously just Richard Castle?"

"Dude chill out…"

"He's my favorite author."

"So go get his autograph."

"That would be weird. Beside I really want Detective Beckett's signature…"

"Seriously dude?"

"What?"

"My 13 year sister is more self-contained about whatever Disney Channel star it is that she loves than you are right now."

"… I'll shut up."

"Good because we should probably do some actual work. No wonder we're not going anywhere fast I've got fangirl extraordinaire for my partner."

"Dude you like Nikki Heat too."

"That's 'cause she's hot."

"Still."

"I'm not the one dying of excitement right now. Pull yourself together."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder. We're cops for god sakes we should probably act like it."

**Keep On Trying – Poco**

"You can do it Tori!" I yell as I cycle past her and dad.

She shoots me a death glare, "Shut up Nate!"

"Well stop being a baby and just do it." I look at dad who is patiently gripping the seat of her sparkly purple bike.

"Nate!" Mom calls in warning from where she's standing with the dog and her phone poised to record Tori. If Tori ever gets on with it. "You can do it Tori, Daddy's just going to hold on until you get going."

"What if I fall?" she asks. Man my little sister is such a scaredy cat sometimes.

"Then you pick yourself up and we'll try again," Dad's being nice even as he holds onto her bike super tight.

"Tori if I can do it then you can." Seriously, if she can do it the we can ride around the park together and leave mom and dad here.

Tori looks at me and nods, "Ok dad, let's go."

He smiles, "Ready when you are." Mom starts video taping with her phone, tightening her hold on Rook who wants to go with Tori too.

Tori pops herself up onto the seat and starts to peddle towards me. "Dad, let go!" she calls not noticing that he hadn't followed her when she started.

"I already did." He calls back and she looks over her shoulder wobbling just a bit.

"Eyes in front sweet pea!" mom calls even as dad hugs her from behind.

"Told you!" I say when she gets to me, stopping with her feet.

"Told me what?" she's looking at me like she thinks I'm stupid.

"That you could do it."

"IF you can then I can." She sticks her tongue out at me.

"Then why were you being a baby?"

"I wasn't being a baby!" She stomps her foot.

"Whatever," I roll my eyes like mom does, "Catch me if you can?" I push off the ground heading towards the path that runs around the park.

"Hey!" she yells after me. But I don't stop, slow a little as I hear her get on the bike but it's not long before she's off and catching up. Now this really isn't fair she can't be faster than me, already.

**What is Love? – Haddaway**

"Mama?" Tori's voice came across the counter. She was coloring one of many Disney princess pages while I made dinner.

"Yes, Sweet Pea?" I asked absentmindedly.

"What's love?" I looked up to find my six year old watching me very intently having abandoned her Ariel and Prince Eric page with it's interesting color scheme to ask me the question.

"It's a feeling," I tell her simply rolling and other ball of dough for biscuits.

She shakes her head emphatically chestnut curls bouncing, "No, what is it?" Her brow is furrowed and in that moment I see so much of myself.

"Well it's when you're willing to do absolutely anything for that person, because their happiness is just as important to you as your own," I tell her patiently.

She's latched on to the topic, I can see the Castle sparkle in the blue eyes she inherited from her father, "Who do you love, Mama?"

"Well I love you Sweet Pea."

"And Nate? Even though he's stinky?"

"And Nate even though he's stinky. And Lexi," I tell her using the nickname Tori had latched onto when she was little because it was close to her own, "Even though she's not my baby like you and Nate are."

Tori's eyes are wide, "You love us all the same?"

I nod smiling, "I do."

"What about daddy?"

"I love him too."

"You do?" She looks so surprised.

"Of course I do, Sweet Pea, why wouldn't I?" I slide the biscuits into the oven waiting for the precocious six year old to explain the line of questioning.

"Isabella says her parents don't love each other anymore that's why they have two houses, and I thought love was an always thing. I don't want you and daddy not to love each other anymore."

Rounding the corner quickly I perch myself on the stool next to my baby girl, "Daddy and I have loved each other for a very long time, longer than you've been alive. I love daddy so much that I'm never letting him go. He's mine."

Her little face perked up, "He's yours."

"And I'm his. And you guys are ours and we'll love you always."

"Always?" She'd picked up on the word when she was really little, repeating always as the answer to any number of questions but she seemed to understand what it meant even then.

"Always."

This seemed to satisfy whatever worry she had because she moved on, "Who else do you love?"

"Besides you, Nate, Lexi, and Daddy?"

"Duh," exasperation poured out of her, silly me.

"Well I love my daddy, papa, and grams, Lexi's husband Mark and their baby Carrie, and Uncle Kevin and Javi, and Aunt Lanie and Jenny and all your cousins."

Her eyes were big, "All those people?"

"Yeah all those people," I gave her hair a gentle tug, "you love them too," I remind her.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Not Nate."

"Yes, even Nate."

She huffed and went back to the coloring, "Fine, Nate too."

**Mean – Taylor Swift**

"Dad!" Came the plaintive cry from Nate as he stomped into my office, I could see his mother just behind him, looking just a little bit irked.

"What is it kiddo?" I hit the save button on the document, telling by the 10 year old's face that this was not going to be a conversation where I could multi-task.

"Mom's being mean," he's pouting hard core, arms folded across his chest and his mother is running her hand through her hair, looking at me desperately. I wave her off, and it earns me a grateful smile as she heads in the other direction towards the sounds of a three eight year old girls and the splashing sounds of a water fight.

Nate is still pouting on the other side of the desk from me. "Why is your mom being mean?" I ask, rounding the desk so that I could sit down.

"She says I'm not allowed to go to work with her on take your kid to work day." Ah that would explain mom's exasperated look.

"Nate…"

"No, Dad she said I could go when I was a big kid and I'm 10 now. So I'm a big kid."

"You are a big kid but Mommy has a really dangerous job and she just wants to keep you safe."

"If it's a dangerous job then why does Mommy do it?" His face is all screwed up and he stomps his foot again.

I smile and listen to his kick ass mother wrestle three girls into pajamas for a sleepover, "Because your Mom is a highly trained super hero."

"You go to work with her when we're in school." Ahh and there's the fatal flaw in my argument.

"Okay kid…" I lean down so I'm at eye level with him, "she spends a lot of time, making sure that I stay safe and she has to make sure that we're both safe then she can't do her job."

"Well if you don't come to work then she can worry about me," he argues back.

I can't stand seeing his pouty face, so I tackle him tickling him, earning me squeals of laughter. "Daddy… dad…" he gasped.

"Alright bud, here's the thing is that while you're a big kid, I had to sign a bunch of paperwork and your mom still didn't want me there at first."

"I'll sign the paperwork," he decrees.

"Nice try."

"But Dad…"

"I know. I know. I'm terrible too. But how about this, you'll come to work with me, and we'll go to the precinct for a few hours together, if Mom says it's ok."

His eyes light up, "Really?"

"Yeah, you, me and Tori we'll go see mom being a superhero."

"Does Tori have to come?"

"Yes, she does."

"Fine," he sort of pouts.

"Come on lets go apologize for to Mom for calling her mean."

"She's not mean," he whispers, from my side.

"No, she's not mean, she's very nice."

**Poker Face – Lady Gaga**

He's losing. Badly. In fact, he doesn't think he's ever lost so badly. Not even when he was learning, but her eyes are sparkling and she's having so much fun that it really doesn't matter to him.

She's beating everyone there though and some of them are taking it better than others. One was merely amused by the whole scenario, the other is baffled, and yet no one is losing as badly as he is.

It's mostly his own fault, he likes doing things big. So at the beginning he was going big no matter what because he likes seeing their smiles when they win, all of them. And he likes winning himself.

But that had not been absolutely necessary now that they've brought her into the game. In fact everyone except her is blaming him at this point. But it's not really his fault that she seems to have inherited his ability for the grandiose and her mother's ability to call a bluff.

Speaking of her mother, she's glaring at him over the already discarded hand, a mix between amusement and anger. His oldest gave up long ago and left with his grand daughter and son-in-law, and Nate might just throw something if his fourteen year old sister wins a year's allowance in one hand.

He takes one last look at the cards in front of him and the river. Doing his utmost to maintain a tell free pose and pattern of speaking as he decides to go all in. Mom already declared this to be the last round of the night, so he has nothing left to lose.

Tori studies him carefully, she's looking for a clue and he staring right back at her with a confident smile. It's his absolutely worst hand of the night, but everyone else already folded on her so he's going to play the last hand out. Who knows her luck does seem to come from calling bluff and holding her own rather than good hands.

"All in." She shoves the pile of chips towards the middle of the table, her smile matching his own. Nate's watching with a little bit of awe for his baby sister and Kate is trying not to laugh.

He lays his hand down, a pair of three's. At least he has something. And then his daughter laughs, sounding just like her mother, laying down her hand. A straight flush, it the best hand she's had all night. She grins scooping all of the chips towards her. She just won the $100 he'd had left. Technically it had all been his money to start with but the deal is the kids can take the money or trade out chores when they play as a family.

"Alright so what are you going to do with your winnings miss Tori?" Her mom asks grin eyes light up with joy at her obvious delight.

"Oh I'm getting the cash. Saving it for my motorcycle." She's counting the chips she's won around $500 by the end of the night.

Nate's the first to protest, "She not even old enough to drive yet and she's saving for a motorcycle! You guys won't even let me drive."

"No motorcycle." He declares, no way is his baby girl getting on a motorcycle.

Tori's face falls and the fourteen year old in her comes out, "But Dad! Mom has one."

Leaning over Kate breathes in his ear, "Yeah dad I have one."

**Are You Happy Now? – Michelle Branch**

"Are you happy now?" She whispered in my ear as we spun slowly around the dance floor.

"Yeah I suppose I am."

Which earns me a gentle chuckle, as her fingers slip through my hair, "You were being ridiculous this morning."

"Can't help it she's my little girl," I whine, "It's her wedding I'm allowed to be a little emotional."

"Which is why you were crying more than anyone else here," sarcasm laces her words, to accompany the smile that I can feel against my cheek.

I squeeze her waist, "Ok, now you just being mean."

"You love me anyway," she says light and sing songy

"I love you in spite of it," I laugh.

We're quiet for a while a swaying out of time with the too fast music, but we're the old folks on the corner of the floor and no one really cares about us. She laughs a little to herself and pulls back enough to look me in the eye. "You know you've managed to get your own perfectly constructed Castle family. A forensic pathologist, a graphic artist, and a cop for kids."

I wiggle my eyebrows mischievously, "I know and just think of what the grandkids will be like."

Shakes her head with the infamous eye roll, "Oh you be careful Carrie is threatening to be a lawyer and Justin wants to play professional hockey."

"Both of which provide a plethora of story ideas," I assure her.

"Always the writer."

"Just the way you like me, my very logical cop"

"Well someone has to keep you grounded," She assures me.

"A remarkable job you've done of it too."

"Well thank you," she nods, "it's not an easy task."

We're quiet for a minute and I notice the new slower song that has taken over. "This is our wedding song," memories swamping me rather suddenly remembering taking her out onto the dance floor for our first dance as husband and wife.

Tears glisten in her eyes as she nods "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice."

"What did Tori do?" Our darling little girl, precocious from the moment she opened her eyes.

"She asked Alexis."

"Smart girl," I say with a wisp of sadness.

"Sweet Girl…" She grins so happily just like the day she did when Tori was born, as we look over at our daughter, just as tall and beautiful in the dress her mother wore, "We did good Castle."

"We did really good," I assure her, pressing a kiss to her temple, as she looks around the room. The two oldest grand kids talking with some of their cousins while Nate and Kelly are sitting with their toddler at one of the tables and Alexis and Marc are chatting happily with some of Elijah's college classmates. It's really a beautiful picture.

"They all look happy," she says wistfully. "I never thought I'd end up with a big happy family."

"I'm glad we did."

"Me too"

_**The End**_

* * *

><p><strong>If you managed to reread them all then way to go! I love them like this and out of order.<strong>

**Now if you saw a hole in the story that you'd like filled drop me a line and maybe I'll flush it out for you. I am going to move on to other projects and I have a commitment for another fandom that needs wrapped up before premieres. But I will be around the Castle fandom so keep and eye out for my one shots and the squeal to _Morning Coffee._  
><strong>

**Your Humble Author,**

**Babyrose **


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